The Big Twist
by Emeraldax
Summary: [Completed] In this ensemble story, Greenlee and Kendall must cope with Dr. Madden's revelation. However, bigger surprises await them concerning their husbands.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: There has been a lot of speculation as to what the big twist would be that Alicia indicated on the Soap Secrets show. Here is my wild guess. I tried to be medically accurate, but there is only so much research I'm willing to do for a fanfic. I have no plans to continue this story, but who knows.

Greenlee squeezed Kendall's hand. Kendall looked up at her and they both grinned like idiots. This was an exciting moment – they would be hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time. They had hoped to hear it last month, when Kendall was eight weeks along. When they didn't hear it, they were crushed, but Dr. Madden assured them that it was perhaps a bit too early. He said that they would be able to hear the heartbeat for sure on the next visit, when she was twelve weeks along. So here it was, the moment of truth. Greenlee squirmed with anticipation. Dr. Madden turned on the doppler device and pressed it against Kendall's abdomen. Static. He moved it to another location. More static. He continued moving it along various parts of Kendall's stomach, and still did not hear anything. Kendall clenched her jaw. "My tummy's not that big, Doctor. Shouldn't we have heard something by now?"

Dr. Madden's expression was grave. But then again, it usually looked grave. "Theoretically, yes. But these doppler devices aren't always reliable. Also, Kendall's abdomen is not protruding as much as is typical for twelve weeks along, which probably means that she is carrying the fetus more internally. That would make it harder to hear the heartbeat. I'll tell you what I'll do. We have an ultrasound machine here in the clinic. Let me see if it is available, and we'll just go ahead and have the ultrasound earlier than planned." Greenlee's previous apprehensive expression turned to one of joy. "You mean we'll get to see him or her? A month early? Did you hear that Kendall?" Kendall smiled wanly. She was a nervous wreck.

After placing a call to the ultrasound tech, Dr. Madden led them to the room with the ultrasound machine. The technician, Brenda, smeared some lubricant on Kendall's abdomen, then pressed a scanning implement against her skin. Kendall and Greenlee stared at the monitor, which seemed full of gray and black blobs. Brenda pointed. "There's the uterus." She continued to inch the tool along. "How far along did you say she was, Dr. Madden?" He glanced at her. "Twelve weeks." Brenda gave him a swift glance. She paused the instrument over one spot and stared at the screen for a moment. She pressed a button, and immediately came the sound of a heartbeat. Kendall and Greenlee gasped in unison. Greenlee clutched Kendall's hand and hopped up and down. Brenda pressed a few more buttons on the monitor, and a moment later, Kendall saw what looked like a picture pop out of the machine. Brenda handed the picture to Dr. Madden. She gave him a confused look. He gave her a meaningful look. Kendall was starting to freak out on the inside. Oh no, oh no, something's wrong. Why did Zach have to be in Thailand? Why couldn't he be here with me?

Dr. Madden turned towards Kendall and Greenlee, and smiled. He held out the picture and pointed towards a small spot. "Here is the little peanut, right here." He was being cutesy, something was definitely wrong. As Kendall wiped the goo off her belly and straightened her clothes, Greenlee stared at the picture. "Why couldn't we hear the heartbeat with the doppler machine?" Dr. Madden held his hand out towards the door. "Lets go to my office and have a chat." Greenlee went out the door first, and Kendall followed. She glanced behind and saw Dr. Madden conferring quietly with Brenda.

When they got to the office, Dr. Madden rummaged through one of his drawers. He produced a piece of paper and handed it to Kendall. "Have you had any of these symptoms?" She hesitantly took the paper and looked at the list. "Umm…right after the one month appointment, I had some cramps and some spotting." Greenlee's eyes widened. "And you didn't tell us? Kendall!" Kendall blinked her eyes rapidly. "I thought it was supposed to be normal! It wasn't nearly as severe as what Greenlee endured when she lost her baby, so I thought it was fine. Greenlee, I didn't want to upset you over nothing." Greenlee looked at Dr. Madden for confirmation. He cleared his throat. "It can be perfectly normal." Kendall clenched her fingers together. "Can be? Dr. Madden, did I do something wrong?" He fiddled with his pen. "I have one other question to ask you, Kendall. Did you have sexual relations any time after the spotting and cramping?"

Greenlee waved her hand. "Of course not. That was one of my very first rules for Kendall. No sex during the pregnancy. Right, Kendall?" Kendall looked down, twisting her wedding ring around and around. Greenlee tugged on her shoulder and hissed at her in a low voice. "Kendall? You do recall the conversation about no eclairs or baguettes near my bun?" Kendall glanced up at Dr. Madden, who was staring at Greenlee as if she just sprouted horns. Kendall swallowed hard. "I did have sexual relations, Doctor. A few times, I guess. Maybe more. I didn't really count." Greenlee shot up from her chair. "Kendall! Oh my God, it was Zach, wasn't it? He put his éclair in your oven!" Kendall gave her a guilty, yet defiant look. "It was more like a baguette." Greenlee threw her hands up. "Too much information!"

Kendall looked at Dr. Madden beeseechingly. "Its been awhile since we've done it. Zach's been in Thailand for over a month." Greenlee sat back down in her chair. "You mean if he were here, you'd still be going at it like jackrabbits, hammering away at my poor baby?" Kendall slammed her hand down on Dr. Madden's desk. "Damn it, Greenlee. Sex does not hurt the baby in any way. Every book I've read says that." Greenlee waved her hand at Dr. Madden. "Then why did he ask you whether you had sex? I'm sure it isn't because he gets off on it." Dr. Madden stood up. "Ladies! May I answer the question?" They looked at him expectantly. There was a knock on the door, and Brenda poked her head in. "I have those pictures you wanted." She bustled in and put a file on his desk. He nodded. "Good timing, Brenda. Thank you." She left the room.

Dr. Madden perused the file for a moment, then pulled out two sonagram pictures. "This is what a fetus looks like at twelve weeks. And this is what a fetus looks like at seven weeks." He laid the pictures side by side. Greenlee held up the picture from Kendall's ultrasound. The size of the baby more closely matched the seven week picture. Greenlee's voice was barely above a squeak. "So the baby is really small. Is that a problem? I'm petite. Maybe it just has my petite genes." Kendall shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand. What does the size of the baby have to do with my cramping and then having sex? Did I somehow stunt its growth? Please tell me I didn't hurt the baby." Her face crumpled in anguish.

Dr. Madden came around the desk and put one hand on Greenlee's and one hand on Kendall's. "I know this is hard to understand, ladies. What you have to realize is that fertilized egg implantation is a hit or miss process. Even if one or more of the eggs successfully implants, it is not a guarantee that it will stay the course until birth. Like with any other pregnancy, the chance for miscarriage is there." He sighed heavily, and picked up Kendall's sonogram. "There is a little baby here, on this sonogram. But I very much doubt that it is the same baby that was implanted into Kendall's womb twelve weeks ago." The two women stared at him in shock. "I think that Greenlee's baby miscarried after four weeks. And I think that Kendall became pregnant just a week later, when she had sex with her husband."


	2. Chapter 2

Greenlee lay on her bed in the dark. Even though she promised Kendall that she would call Simone, she was really lying. She didn't want anyone to pat her on the back and say that everything would be fine. After all the times her dreams have been shattered, it would really piss her off right now to hear platitudes. She had come close to strangling Dr. Madden when he gave her a long speech about how common it was to experience failure multiple times before a couple are blessed with a baby. Greenlee had settled for icily informing him that unlike most "couples," she did not have an endless supply of baby-making material. And now that Kendall's womb was currently occupied, she wasn't sure that she wanted to continue with the surrogacy plan at all.

Kendall looked crushed when she said that. Greenlee tried to reassure her that she wasn't resentful for the way things turned out. Kendall seemed to take her word for it, which made it all the more painful when Greenlee had to push her away later. Kendall wouldn't let Greenlee go off alone, and so Greenlee had to take drastic measures and tell Kendall that she was the last person Greenlee wanted to see right now. Kendall's little peanut has so far managed to last seven weeks - almost twice as long as the other two. She told Kendall that her slightly burgeoning belly, which was once a source of delight for Greenlee, was now a source of heartache.

Greenlee just wanted to be alone. It was apparently her destiny, so she might as well start getting used to it right now. One positive thing about being alone is that you can wallow in self-pity forever. And wear sweatpants. When you're alone, you also can't hurt anyone, like Greenlee had hurt Kendall earlier. Like the way she hurt Ryan by pretending that she was okay with not having a baby, and then presenting him with the very thing he wanted least in the world.

When the doorbell rang, Greenlee turned to her side and started to curl up in a ball. But then something strange happened. She felt the hair on her neck stand up. There was something significant about this visitor. She sighed and got up. She went to the front door and peered through the eye hole. A young woman with red hair stood outside. Avon lady perhaps? Should she open the door? Were her neck hairs psychic or psychosis? She sighed again and opened the door. "Greenlee?" The voice sounded familiar. "I'm Erin Lavery."

Greenlee tried to brighten up at the sight of Ryan's sister. She really did. Instead she burst into tears. Erin came in and gave her a hug. Then she led Greenlee to the couch and they sat down, Greenlee leaning into Erin and Erin rubbing her back and making soothing noises. When Greenlee's tears had spent, she sat up. "Welcome to Pine Valley," she said in a wobbly voice. Erin bit her lip. "Bad day, huh?" Greenlee nodded. Erin took a deep breath. "I'm either about to make your day much better or much worse." Greenlee's eyes widened. "I don't think it could get any worse, so give it your best shot." Erin opened her mouth, then closed it. She bit her lip again. Then she looked down at Greenlee's abdomen and frowned. "You're such a tiny little thing, I would have thought you'd be showing by now. What's it been, five months since you became pregnant?"

Greenlee stared at her. "How did you know about that? When Ryan died, I didn't make the pregnancy public. Which was good, because then I didn't have to announce my miscarriage." Erin brought her hands up to her mouth. "You miscarried? Oh, Greenlee, I'm so sorry." Greenlee's eyes bored into Erin's. "How did you know, Erin? Only a handful of people knew." Erin twisted her fingers. "Someone close to the situation told me about it. Greenlee…it was…it was Ryan. I don't mean from beyond the grave. He survived the motorcycle crash, Greenlee. Ryan is alive."

Kendall started to open the door to Tad and Aidan's office, when she noticed that someone had hung a temporary sign on the outside of the door. It was obviously a joke. It said: Tad Martin, Private Dick. Aidan Devane, Spotted Dick. She rolled her eyes and opened the door. She saw Tad working on his computer. He looked up and smiled. "Now there's a femme fatale, if I've ever seen one. Where's my fedora?"

Without preamble, Kendall pulled up a chair. "I don't have any details about my husband's role in helping Julia Santos Keefer find out who killed her husband. All I know is that he has been in Thailand for five weeks, and I have not heard from him at all in the past three. I don't know if you have any involvement in this at all. If you don't, then I'm sure that you can easily become involved. I need to find Zach, quickly. I'm sure your dossier on him shows his financial records, so you know that I can pay you well. Very well."

Tad stared at her awhile. "I'm sure you could pay me very well, but I'm not sure that finding Zach is in your best interest. I think you are better off without him in your life." Kendall narrowed her eyes. "I didn't ask for your opinion on my love life, Tad. Just like I'm sure you wouldn't want my opinion on your love life and how it led you to keep Krystal's secret about switching Miranda's DNA." Tad stood up and walked over to one of the pinball machines. "Maybe you would prefer to hire Aidan." Kendall stood up and leaned against the machine. "Aidan would give me more crap about it than you are, and I haven't got time to wade through it. I need to find Zach, now."

Tad rubbed his face. "What's the urgency? Did he forget to do the dishes again? Neglected to scoop the cat litter?" Kendall shook her head. "My mother told me once that the only way to get past your snark is to get real with you. So here it is. I just found out today that I'm going to have Zach's child. The last thing I expected or wanted was a baby, but that seems to be a Kane woman's destiny. I'll tell you right here and now that there is no way in hell that I'm going to raise this child alone. So unless you're planning to dandle little Alex the Third on your knee, you might consider it in your best interest to escort me to Thailand in the near future." Tad blinked at her. "Dandle? Alex the Third? Oh for…damn it…I give up. Fine. You'll need three things. A passport, a tourist visa, and lots and lots of cash. I have a feeling that the bribes will be flowing freely on this trip. That will take you a day or two. Meanwhile, I'll book us a flight. Since this will be on Slater's dime, we'll go first class."

Ryan paced around his room at the Pine Cone. He had wanted to tell Greenlee the truth, himself. Erin convinced him that the sight of him right now would probably throw her into shock and possibly hurt the baby. She promised to break the news gently and then bring Greenlee to see him at the Pine Cone. He was worried sick. Worried that her reaction could cause harm to herself and the baby. Worried that she would hate him – and with good cause. He was also worried about Jonathan. Jonathan was doing well in rehab, but he relied on Ryan and Erin's daily visits to help him cope with recovery. He wasn't well enough to travel yet, so Ryan and Erin had to leave him for a few days to make this trip. Jonathan hadn't taken it well. I'll be back soon, Jonathan. With any luck, I'll bring Greenlee with me.

If Greenlee could manage to forgive Ryan, then all his shattered dreams could be put back together. He could have a family. A real family. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. I've managed to make a huge wreck out of my life, time and time again. And yet I always seem to be given another chance. Will it happen again, or did I blow it for good this time?

Zach was startled awake. Was it a noise? He listened. Nothing out of the ordinary. No, it was a dream. He was dreaming about holding a little girl. A little girl with corkscrew curls and hazel eyes. He was reading her Pat the Bunny. When he got to the part about Daddy's scratchy face, the girl reached up and caressed his cheek. He looked up and saw Kendall standing in the doorway, love in her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ryan raced to the telephone when it rang. "Hello?" It was Erin. "I'm so sorry, Ryan. I tried to break it to her gently." He ran his hand over his buzz cut. "What happened?" He heard sniffling. "She took off. I told her you were alive, and she didn't even give me a chance to explain. She stood up and said 'What is wrong with you people? First Lily, and now you?' Then she took off. I couldn't catch her. Who's Lily?" Ryan sighed. "Lily is her sister. She's autistic. She saw me right before I left town, and assumed I was a ghost. Apparently she figured out that I wasn't one, and told Greenlee. Damn it. I wonder where she went." "Ryan, that's not all. Before I told her you were alive, I found out something major. I'm so sorry, honey. Greenlee miscarried the baby."

Ryan sat down on the bed. That was it. The votes were now in. He was officially the biggest piece of turd in the galaxy. Greenlee. He had wanted so badly not to hurt her. She'd already suffered enough at the hands of Jonathan. So what did he do? He told her he didn't want children. He spit on her dream by having a vasectomy. He blew up at her when she inseminated herself and got pregnant anyway. He faked his death so that he wouldn't have to deal with it. And now she's lost her baby, the gift that she tried to give him. The gift that he rejected before running away. If he was going to walk away he should have done it much sooner, like Jackson wanted. He thought he could hold on to her and hold in his anger. Greenlee, Greenlee.

Ryan became aware that Erin was still on the line, calling his name. "I'm here, Erin. I just…I just need to think about all this. I need to think about where Greenlee has gone, so I can talk to her." There was a pause. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Ryan? I mean, I don't think she believed me when I told her, so seeing you could still be quite a shock." Ryan sighed. "I think maybe she did believe you. Deep down. I need to find her, Erin. She's very good at dropping off the face of the earth. Literally."

Zach stared at the ceiling and wondered why he was dreaming about a little girl that looked like a combination of him and Kendall. Kendall wasn't having their baby. She was having Ryan's baby. Ryan. The man she loved so much that she did crazy things to try and get him back. And when she realized she was never getting him back, she tried to walk into the sea.

The trip to Bangkok was actually a blessing in disguise. His feelings for Kendall had grown, and his ability to smile and act supportive about the pregnancy had diminished. As much as he missed Kendall, he dreaded seeing her belly growing round with Ryan's child. Zach's eyes drooped closed as he tried to remember why he was still in Thailand. Something told him he should have been back home weeks ago. His weary brain tried to wrap itself around an answer, but sleep claimed him instead.

Zach heard the door to his room swing open. He looked over and saw one of his employees walk in. "How did you get the key to my room? This damn well better be important." The employee responded by swinging his leg back, and then bringing it forward into Zach's ribs.

Greenlee unlocked the door and pushed it, standing in one spot as the door swung inward. She walked into the flat that she had purchased for her and Leo. She had gotten thisclose to convincing Leo to move here to Paris. They never made it. Swallowing a lump, she went into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. She looked towards the window, the one where she once sat and dreamed big of a future with Leo.

"Oh Leo, please please give me some sign that Ryan is up there with you right now, playing a mean game of poker. Please tell me he isn't really alive and has been living as far away from me as he could get." She got up and looked out the window. "Tell me that the world has gone crazy and that Lily and Erin are being deliberately cruel. Please, oh please, Leo. I think right at this moment I want one of my babies back more than I want Ryan. He can't have done this. He can't have pretended that he died going over a cliff. Knowing that you suffered so similar a fate. He couldn't have wanted me to relive that horror again. Not my Ryan. He was messed up, he wasn't thinking clearly, but surely he couldn't have been that off the deep end…could he?"

She sank to the floor, going over and over in her mind those last terrible moments before he took off. Throwing the bookcase down, screaming "I am that monster!" He was fully convinced that he was a serious threat to her and their baby. He wanted to get away from them, get away so he couldn't hurt them. Greenlee brought her hands to her mouth. Could he have faked his death so that he would no longer be a danger to her? She shook her head. If that was the case, why couldn't he just tell her he wanted a divorce? Leave Pine Valley? Tell her he wanted nothing to do with her? She closed her eyes and leaned against the bed. Because she wouldn't have believed him. She wouldn't have given him a divorce. She wouldn't have let him leave. He knew she was just that stubborn. Stubborn enough to break into a fertility bank and steal sperm to make a baby. He had to go to such lengths to escape her good intentions. "Oh, Ryan. You really are alive, you son of a bitch."

Kendall settled into her seat. Tad sat down next to her, and groaned as he sank into the soft leather. "Oh yeah. This is going to be a much nicer flight than the last one to Bangkok." Kendall gave him a swift glance. "You've been to Bangkok before?" Tad nodded. "I didn't know it back then, but that trip was connected to this one. When you first came to see me, you wondered if I had any involvement with Julia's mission to find Noah's killer. Well, actually I have. I'd been a part of the investigation almost from the beginning. I can't really tell you much about it. The FBI has slapped a gag order on everyone involved. But there's one thing I can tell you, and you're not going to like it. Around about the time Zach went to Thailand, Di…um, someone with inside information stepped forward and told everything. The FBI used this knowledge to gather more evidence, and two weeks later they were able to bring the Dra….the, uh, top criminal to justice. So for almost three weeks now, this thing has been over. Julia's been in California since the arrest, living with Maria."

Kendall blinked at him, trying to process all this information. "I'm sure this had to have made the news. How could I have missed it? Wait, wait. Three weeks ago I was with mom in California. It was a mini-vacay for me and fact-finding trip for her show. I remember now, I came back and tried calling Zach to tell him about the trip. He never responded to my voice mail. I don't understand. Why didn't anyone call him and tell him that he could come home?" Tad shrugged. "He wasn't my problem. I figured he would hear the news. Frankly, when he didn't come back, I thought it was good riddance." Kendall narrowed her eyes. "Okay, when I didn't hear from Zach, I didn't worry too much because I thought he was in deep somewhere still investigating. But Julia would have noticed that he wasn't back, even though everything was wrapped up. Wouldn't she have wanted to try and find him to thank him for all his help?" Tad laughed. "What help? All he did was cause problems the whole time."

Kendall resisted the urge to slap him. "Excuse me, but he saved her sorry ass on a number of occasions. I should have known, Julia always was an ungrateful little bitch. But I'm surprised at Maria. If Julia's with her now, then Maria should have noticed that Zach wasn't back yet. She's the freaking love of his life. The reason he put himself in danger in the first place. Didn't she at least want to pick up the phone and spit out a thank you? What the hell is wrong with you people?" Kendall's voice had risen to a yell by this point. The flight attendant came over and smiled tightly. "If there's anything you need, just push the call button."

Tad looked at Kendall with pity. "Face it, Kendall. No one gives a damn about Zach Slater. Least of all, Maria. He's caused her and her family nothing but heartache. We'd all be happier if he just disappeared off the face of the earth. I'm sorry, Kendall, but I thought you hated him too. Its common knowledge that your marriage is a business arrangement. Who knew that you would fall in love with the guy?" Kendall jerked back. Love? No, no, no, she thought to herself. She cared for him. She had great sex with him. Hell, she was having his baby. But love? No way. She wasn't going to fall into that trap again. She would end up making herself and Zach miserable. No way. Having made up her mind on that score, Kendall turned and looked out the window. Oh Zach, please be alright. Please.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Greenlee rode the elevator to the flat, leaning against the wall. It had been quite a day of shopping. Very few things gave her as much of a thrill as shopping in Paris. She had spent the last two days buying things for herself. Today's excursion was all about other people. She had gotten a sharp tie for Jackson. A fab purse for Erica. Ten of the most adorable little outfits to give to Miranda – she was having dinner with Bianca, Maggie and Miranda tonight. Some demon had also sent her marching into a maternity shop to get a couple of outfits for Kendall. Greenlee told herself that if she was forced to see Kendall round with child, she should at least wear something flattering. Her throat constricted a little. Fortunately the elevator opened, so she was able to distract herself with getting all her packages to her door.

Greenlee stopped short when she saw a big lump sitting on her doorstep. The lump lifted its head. It was Ryan. She dropped her packages. Ryan stood up. "Greenlee…" After a brief moment, Greenlee started digging in her purse for her keys. Swiftly locating them in the teeny tiny purse, she marched towards the door. Moving out of her way, Ryan watched as she unlocked the door and pushed it open. Then she turned and began transferring her packages from the hallway floor to the foyer inside the apartment. The whole time she completely ignored Ryan. Once all the packages were inside, she went into the living room and picked up the princess phone that was next to her sofa, dialing a number. "Hello, is this the landlord? I have a complaint. You have ghosts in your building. No, you didn't mistranslate. Ghosts. Poltergeists. The undead. Walking around in your building. There's a big one standing right in front of me. Get up here now and get rid of it. You might want to come armed." She slammed down the phone.

Ryan sighed. "Greenlee, you know I'm not a ghost." She pointed a finger at him. "Like hell, you're not. No, that's not right. You're not 'like hell,' you are hell. As in 'straight from.' I want you to make like Amityville and GET OUT!" Greenlee didn't usually shout, but she was furious. Ryan raised his hands. "Greenlee, please, we need to sit down and talk about this. You need to understand why I did what I did." Greenlee laughed humorlessly. "Oh isn't this rich? A reversal of our last moments together. Back then you were going off the deep end, and I was pleading with you for understanding. Except there's one difference. Remember when you drew back your fist like you were going to punch me? Well, I'm not going to show as much restraint." Before he had time to react, she sucker punched him in the eye with her tiny balled fist.

Ryan fell back on the sofa, his eye shooting with pain. "Damn, that hurt, Greenlee." Greenlee leaned over him. "If you had followed through with your punch, Ryan, it wouldn't have hurt half as much as what you did to me. You don't have to explain why you did it, Ryan. I know exactly why – I know you better than anyone else. Hell, I know you better than you know yourself. That's why I went behind your back to give you a baby. I knew you weren't a monster, even if you did throw a big trantrum to try and prove you were one. All you proved is that you're a big baby. So, I know exactly why you went over that cliff and then slunk off like the lowlife dog that you are. You wanted to save me and our child from big, bad, mean and nasty you!"

There was a noise from the doorway. They both looked over and saw the landlord hovering tentatively. "Is everything fine here? No ghosts?" He held up a pistol. Greenlee smiled grimly. "Hand me that pistol and I can produce a ghost in about five seconds." The landlord lowered the pistol and gave her a stern look. "I do not settle domestic disputes." He turned and walked out the door. Greenlee turned back to Ryan. "You need to leave. Now. This is Leo's place. I came here because I needed to bond with the husband that really is dead. The one who really did go over the edge, land in water, and was carried away to his death."

Greenlee marched to the foyer, intending to show him out. She was startled when the front door opened and Mary walked inside. Mary gasped. "Oh my! Greenlee! I…uh…I had no idea you would be here." Greenlee stared at her. "I didn't give you a key to this place." Mary tried to laugh. "Oh, I borrowed it, dear. Don't you remember?" Greenlee folded her arms. She really didn't need this aggravation. Mary looked over Greenlee's shoulder, and let out a blood-curdling scream. Greenlee covered her face with her hands. "Greenlee! It….it's Ryan's ghost! Right there, darling!" Mary flapped her arm in Ryan's direction. Greenlee gripped her mother's other arm in mock terror. "Oh mother, you can see him too? He's been haunting me, and he won't leave me alone. Quick! Call the landlord. I'll go out and get some Ghost-Be-Gone!" She grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

Kendall folded her arms as Tad made his umpteenth negotiation with the umpteenth surly-looking Thai dude. Some money changed hands for the umpteenth time, and the Thai dude opened the door and showed them in. Was this going to be the umpteenth dead end in three days? Kendall looked around. It appeared to be a cell block. Dirty, smelly, and all around lacking in cleanliness. All of the cells were empty. They arrived at the last one. The lighting was dingy, and it looked as if there was a pile of dirty laundry on the floor. The guard unlocked the door and pulled it open, indicating that they should go inside. Tad raised one eyebrow, as if to say, "Are you kidding?" Kendall also hesitated, until the pile of laundry shifted and spoke in a slurred voice. "I told you for the last time, Bobby. I don't want to be disturbed." Kendall raised her hand to her mouth. It was Zach.

Before Tad could stop her, she ran into the cell. "Zach! Oh my…what have they done to you?" She tried to turn him over, but he flinched. He was cradling one arm. She caught a look at his face. One of his eyes was black and blue, and there were cuts on his lips and dried blood around his nose. Kendall opened her mouth to say something, anything, but all that came out was a squeak. Her hands hovered over him, hesitantly. She wanted to touch him, but she was afraid of hurting him more. She started crying – big gasping sobs. Tad came over and put his hands on her shoulders. "You need to pull yourself together if we're going to get him out of here." Kendall put her face in her hands and took a shuddering breath to try and calm herself. To help accomplish this, she fantasized about what she would do to Julia when she got home. The bitch was going to need much more than Witness Protection to save her ass.

Finally calm, she whispered in Zach's ear. "We've come to take you home, Zach." Zach frowned in his apparent slumber. "Kendall," he murmured. Before Kendall could stand, she heard a thumping noise. She turned around and saw Tad slide to the floor in a heap. The guard was wielding a club and had apparently hit him with it. Before she could react, another guard came charging into the cell, and the two of them lifted her from the ground. She bucked violently. "Zach! Tad! Let go of me! Zach!" They carried her out of the cell, and a third guard appeared to close and lock the door.

Tad regained consciousness in time to see Kendall being carried down the hallway, screaming bloody murder. He rubbed the back of his head. This was unbelievable. Apparently he didn't give the guy a big enough tip. He stood up and staggered over to the bars to peer at the door that Kendall was being carried through. He saw her get a foot loose and kick one of the guards in the chin. Startled, they both let go and she scrambled to her feet and lunged towards the cell. No, no Kendall, you're supposed to go the other way, towards freedom. Damn it! "Zach!" She didn't make it far. They caught her again and held her more tightly.

Tad was startled when Zach suddenly bolted upright. "Kendall? Kendall!" She was still screaming threats and curses at the guards. Tad stared as Zach tried to get to his feet, and failed miserably. "Get off her! You sons of bitches!" He was successful in his second attempt, and lurched forward. To Tad's bewilderment, he wasn't looking down the hallway where Kendall was still heard to be screaming. He was looking at the floor on the other side of the bars in front of the cell. "No! Oh God, no! Leave her alone." He stuck his good arm through the bars, reaching for something invisible. "I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill every one of you!" He had a look of desperation and anguish on his face. At that moment, Kendall's screams were cut off. "No! What have you done to her!"

Completely unnerved, Tad grabbed Zach and pulled him away from the bars. Zach turned and clocked Tad in the jaw. Tad staggered back, wondering where his strength had come from. "Son of a bitch!" Rubbing his jaw, he started towards Zach, who was now looking at him with a murderous gleam in his eyes. Tad was ready for him this time, and when Zach swung at him again, he blocked the shot. Tad pushed Zach against the bars of the cell in order to restrain him. Now that he was in Zach's face, he could see from his eyes that he was in some sort of altered state. "You violated my wife, and then you murdered her. You will pay." Zach's voice sounded gutteral, almost animalistic. Chills ran down Tad's spine. There had to be a way of neutralizing Zach without hurting him further. There was a buzzing noise, and Zach suddenly jolted, then slumped over. Tad looked up and saw a guard on the other side of the bars. He held up a cattle prod and smiled, then walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Greenlee sat next to Miranda, who was trying to fit barn animal pieces into their proper places. "Cow. Cow!" She squealed in frustration as she tried to put the piece in upside down. Greenlee grinned at Bianca. "This was exactly what I needed right now. Thanks for letting me come over earlier than planned." Bianca patted Greenlee's shoulder. "Its perfectly fine. You're taking the whole thing remarkably well. I just can't believe that Ryan…" She shook her head. "Does anyone else know that Ryan is alive?" Greenlee shook her head. "Not that I'm aware. Unless Erin the errand girl has been making the rounds in Pine Valley." She stood up. "Kendall! She should be told. I need to talk to Kendall. Find out how she's doing. I've been hiding from her just as much as I've been hiding from Ryan."

She went to her purse and extracted her cell phone. She dialed Kendall's cell phone. She was immediately kicked into voice mail. She was either on the line or not getting a signal. Greenlee tried her land line in her condo. She got the machine. "Kendall, please call my cell as soon as you can." She bit the bullet and dialed Erica's number. "Erica, have you seen Kendall?" She heard Erica sigh. "No, and I've been trying to find her. Greenlee, she hasn't been to her condo in days. I found out from a neighbor, Gladys, that she was going on a trip. Gladys is feeding her plants. She also said that Zach hasn't been to _his_ condo in weeks, though I couldn't care less about that."

Greenlee snapped her fingers. "Of course. She went looking for Zach. She said that Zach was in Thailand, and since she hadn't heard from him in a long time, she was going to find out what happened to him." Erica groaned. "Why does she waste her time with that man? And what is he doing in Thailand, anyway?" Greenlee sighed. "It has to do with Julia Santos Keefer. He was helping her find out who killed her husband." There was a long pause. "Julia Santos Keefer? Wait a minute. Opal was telling me all about that a while back. Apparently Tad was involved in that investigation. It was resolved weeks ago. It came to a head while Kendall and I were in California. Didn't you read about it?" Greenlee bit her lip. "Probably not. I've been preoccupied. Wait a minute. If it was resolved weeks ago, why didn't Zach come home? Look, if you say Tad was involved with this, then I need to call him. Bye Erica." She hung up before Erica could say anything else.

Greenlee dialed Tad and Aidan's PI office. Aidan answered the phone. "Aidan, its Greenlee. Is Tad there?" Aidan cleared his throat. "I'm afraid not. Tad is on an assignment out of town." Greenlee narrowed her eyes. "Let me guess, Thailand?" There was a brief pause. "I'm afraid that's confidential." Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Coy doesn't suit you, Aidan. I know that Tad is in Thailand, and I know that he's there with Kendall. Have you heard from them at all?" Aidan sighed. "As a matter of fact, no. I've been very concerned." Greenlee sat down, tears pricking the back of her eyes. She felt Bianca's comforting hands on her shoulder. "Aidan! Erica told me that this whole Julia mess was resolved weeks ago. If Zach was in Thailand working on that case, then he should have been back by now. And if he was just having a jaunt or something, Tad and Kendall should have found him by now. What if whoever's gotten to Zach has gotten to them as well?" There was another pause. "You're a very shrewd woman, Greenlee. That is exactly what I've been thinking." Greenlee howled. "You're not supposed to tell me that, Aidan! You're supposed to tell me they're fine! That everything will be alright! Aidan! She's pregnant. Kendall is pregnant." She heard him suck in his breath, and she wiped a tear that was threatening to fall.

"Look, Greenlee….where are you, anyway?" She sniffled. "I'm in Paris. With Bianca and Maggie." There was another pause. "Paris? Wait a minute, Anna's in Paris. She has plenty of contacts, especially in Southeast Asia. She'd be able to find out information much faster than I could. Stay put, Greenlee. I'm coming to Paris. We'll find Kendall, she'll be alright, etcetera, etcetera." He hung up. She stared at the cell. "I thought Anna went to New York with her daughter, Robin?" Bianca put her arm around Greenlee. "She did, but just to deliver her there. She came back a couple of days ago." Greenlee looked at Bianca. "You know where she lives?" Maggie looked up from playing with Miranda. "Oh sure, we go visit her all the time." Greenlee tossed her cell in her purse. "Well, I need to go see her right now. I'm not waiting for Aidan. Every time we leave it up to the men they just screw things up. Zach managed to get himself missing, now Tad. It's time for the women to get things done."

Tad gave unconscious Zach a physical examination, trying to remember what his dad taught him. A few things were fresh in his memory because Jamie sometimes used him as a study aide for medical school. Zach's arm was definitely broken. His foot was also fractured, as were a few ribs. Some of the cuts and bruises were old, some were new. He was apparently the favorite punching bag of the guards around here. There were no needle marks on him, but Tad was pretty sure that he was being drugged. Probably because Zach wasn't likely to be a submissive prisoner. Tad figured the drugs were in Zach's food. It made sense. In his deteriorated physical condition, he was probably eating less and less over time, and therefore ingesting less of the drugs. That was why he had been able to wake up and put up a fight earlier. Unfortunately there was enough left in his system to give him one hell of a hallucination. Tad hated to think what Zach thought he saw when Kendall was screaming her head off.

Tad contemplated the bowls of soup the guard brought earlier. Zach needed to eat, because he was in a pretty sorry state and needed to heal. He wasn't going to do Tad much good, lucid or not, because he was too beat up. Tad, on the other hand, was still in excellent physical health, and didn't need food as much – at least for the time being. Being hungry was much better than being doped up. The best course of action was to feed Zach his soup and some of Tad's, and then get rid of the rest so it looked as if Tad ate his soup, too. Then he could pretend to be drugged and submissive. He didn't want to feed Zach the entire contents of both bowls, because he was afraid of overdosing him. Their only hope for getting out of this hell hole was Aidan. Aidan was the only one who knew Tad was in Thailand and why. He would eventually grow suspicious and come after him. Hopefully he would be more successful than Tad had been. Hopefully he would come soon, before Tad grew too weak from hunger.

Tad sighed and picked up one of the bowls. He lifted Zach into a semi-upright position and smacked his cheek. Zach stirred, but didn't wake up. Tad slapped him a little more. "Come on, Zachary. You don't have to wake up all the way, just be aware enough to swallow what I put in your mouth." Zach groaned, but didn't open his eyes. Good enough. Tad spooned some soup into his mouth. Zach made a face, but swallowed. Tad spoke in a falsetto. "Good boy. That's a good boy, Zachary. Geez, I haven't done this since that time Jamie caught that nasty bug and was too weak to do anything. I think he was 10? JR laughed his head off, calling Jamie a baby. Jamie got him back, though. When he got better, he kicked the shit out of JR." Tad continued feeding him, and shook his head. "I sure hope the guards aren't filming this. It would be prime blackmail material back home." Zach shifted his body a little bit, as if he were struggling to wake up. "Tad?" Tad put down the soup. "Can you hear me Zachary? Are you coming out of dreamland? Do you still think I'm some sort of demon?" Zach shifted some more. "Tad?" His voice was low and slurred. "Shut the fuck up."

Kendall stared through the bars, ignoring the chatter behind her. Every so often she would feel someone playing with her hair or tugging at her clothes. She'd stopped protesting it long ago because it did no good. The other prisoners would just laugh at her or tug her hair harder. Picking a fight was a bad idea when there were so many of them crammed into one large cell. She remembered going to see that Bridget Jones sequel last year and laughing at the ludicrous idea of Bridget ending up in a Thai jail with a bunch of other female prisoners. It wasn't funny now. And her situation was much worse. There was no smarmy embassy employee visiting with ineffectual promises. She was pregnant and scared to death about the health of her baby. And Zach wouldn't be swooping in to save her like Mark Darcy because Zach was near death in a cell much worse than her own. Tears fell down Kendall's cheeks. The sight of them caused some extra chatter among some of the other prisoners.

Kendall tried to think if she told anyone where she was headed on her trip. People would notice she was missing, but would they have any idea where to find her? Think positively. There had to be a paper trail. And Tad possibly told Aidan where they were going. Aidan was former special ops, he could probably find them. Greenlee could connect the dots, but she was probably wrapped up in grief right now. Kendall felt a pang as she thought of her best friend back in Pine Valley, mourning Ryan and her second chance at a baby. Kendall hung her head. If she stayed in here indefinitely, what would happen to her baby, assuming she managed to carry it to term? She cradled her stomach and wept.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Greenlee slowly opened her eyes and was immediately confused. Where was she? She sat up in bed. When she saw the picture on the nightstand of Anna and her late husband, Robert Scorpio, she remembered. She was in Robin's old room. Anna had invited her to stay the night while they waited for Aidan to arrive. Greenlee hadn't wanted to wait for Aidan. She wanted to head to Thailand right away. But Anna said it would take time for her contacts there to get back to her, so they might as well stay put. Greenlee sighed. She wasn't very good at staying put. Greenlee noticed a second picture of Anna with another man that must be Duke Lavery, her other late husband. She was surprised to see that he bore a striking resemblance to Dr. Madden. Anna told her once that there was supposed to be a family connection between Ryan's Lavery clan and Duke's Lavery clan. Add that to the fact that Greenlee and Anna used to be sisters-in-law before she divorced David - her and Anna seemed destined to be connected through their marriages.

Shaking off her musings, Greenlee flung aside the covers and got dressed. When she headed for the kitchen, she heard voices. Thrilled that Aidan was already here, she rushed into the kitchen. "Thank God, Aidan! I am so ready to go find Kendall." She stopped short when she saw that it wasn't Aidan. It was Ryan. Anna gave her an apologetic look. Greenlee folded her arms. "Why can't you leave me alone? You were doing such a good job of it a couple of months ago." Ryan looked at her with tortured eyes. "I don't want to keep hurting you, Greenlee. I was planning to back off. I honestly didn't know you would be here. I came to see Anna." Greenlee looked over at Anna. She shrugged. "I was just telling him about Kendall in Thailand." Ryan nodded. "I want to help in any way I can. Figures that Zach Slater is the cause of another mess that needs cleaning up."

Greenlee stabbed Ryan in the chest with her finger. "Hey! While you were off reliving your past with your precious baby sister, Zach was in Pine Valley being a rock to Kendall. He may be a wierdo, but he stood by Kendall, even though she made a decision to do something he absolutely hated. He thought she was crazy, but he supported her." Ryan gritted his teeth. "Well, their marriage is a business arrangement. He can afford to be supportive without being personally involved." Greenlee smirked. "Its not a business arrangement anymore. She's having his baby." Anna chose this moment to escape, while Ryan processed this information. "I can't imagine he's too thrilled with that. He denied his own son rather than have him be subjected to his cursed genes."

Greenlee threw her hands up. "Here we go again. Cursed genes. Sounds like a new brand of designer denims. It certainly shouldn't serve as the excuse for fucked up men to get out of having children. Well, maybe Zach will get lucky like you did, and Kendall will have a miscarriage. You certainly dodged a bullet. Your cursed genes didn't contaminate our little baby for more than a few weeks." Greenlee was unable to say anything else because her throat closed up. She walked out of the room. She saw Anna opening the front door. Aidan walked in, followed by Bianca, Maggie and Miranda.

Everyone started talking at once, so Anna raised her hands to indicate everyone should listen. "Lets take this into the living room. I will do the talking, and unless I solicit opinions, everyone keeps their mouth shut. Understood?" Without waiting for agreement from anyone, Anna marched into the living room. Everyone followed and sat. Anna regarded them all. "I heard from my contact an hour ago. I know where Tad, Zach and Kendall are being kept. Aidan and Ryan, I'm going to need your help. Greenlee, I know that you and Bianca want to go to Thailand. I will only agree to it if you promise to stay in your hotel rooms. You absolutely cannot come on the rescue mission."

Bianca's eyes popped out. "Rescue mission? Is it that serious? Is Kendall really in danger?" Anna shook her head. "Don't worry, Bianca. She has been put into a women's detention center. I can probably grease a few palms to get her out. It's not a pleasant place, but she's relatively safe. On the other hand, Tad and Zach are not so lucky. They are being held in a private prison. The kind where someone can pay lots of money to have people disappear who are causing them trouble. They pride themselves on keeping prisoners there as long as the customer wants. There'll be no greasing of palms. We'll have to break them out. We're meeting a friend of mine there. His name is Sean Donely. Sean, Aidan and Ryan will bust out Tad and Zach. I'll go and take care of getting out Kendall."

Greenlee stood up. "Wait, you can't go get Kendall alone. You don't think there'll any trouble, but anything could happen. You need someone to have your back." Anna shrugged. "The other team can't spare anyone. They need three people – two to carry Zach and Tad if necessary, and one to cover them." Greenlee folded her arms. "Who cares about the men. I'll go with you. I'm determined to get Kendall out of this. You need my help." Bianca stood up, too. "If Greenlee goes, I should get to go. She's my sister." Maggie shook her head. "No, Bianca. I heard what Anna just said. She said Kendall was 'relatively safe,' not completely safe. I don't want you getting hurt."

Anna raised her hands again. "What did I say about opinions? However, Greenlee is right. I shouldn't go in alone. But! I'm not taking you with me. You have no experience with this sort of thing. I'd be too worried about you to concentrate." Greenlee pointed her finger at Ryan. "He has no experience, and you're letting him get involved in a mission that's even more dan…" Greenlee paused and looked at Ryan with a startled expression, "…even more dangerous than yours." Greenlee ran out of steam and sat down, trying not to contemplate the feelings that just came over her. Anna gave her a sympathetic look and continued. "I'm going to go call another friend of mine who may be able to help. I suggest you all get packing." Anna grinned. "Our private jet is fueling up as we speak."

Zach forced his eyes open. Physically he felt stronger than he did before. Mentally…he felt like he was walking through Grand Central Station at rush hour. Crowded, rushed, easily disoriented. Zach stared ahead and saw bars. When did he have bars installed in his condo? Zach closed his eyes. Focus. He wasn't in his condo. He was in jail. Why was he in jail? Oh, that's right. Ethan claimed to see him murder Edmund. And he went along with it. So they put him in jail. Zach started laughing. He found himself mumbling out loud. "I let them think I killed Edmund. That should have made them happy. It just pissed them off even more." He laughed uproariously. It was the funniest thing ever. "No one is pissed at Ethan for saying he saw me do it. Oh wait. Kendall was pissed. So pissed, she married me." None of this was funny, yet somehow he was doubled over in laughter. As he wiped tears of mirth from his eyes, he heard a voice. "Pissed. Pickled. Tanked. Shnockered. Blotto. Kendall definitely had to have been drunk to marry you."

Zach looked around the cell, trying to find the source of the voice. Every time he moved his head, he felt dizzy. Finally, he saw Tad sitting in a corner. He blinked. "Why are you here? Do they think you killed Edmund, too?" Tad rolled his eyes. "Oh boy, you're in la la land again. Quiet down, I'm trying to concentrate." Zach blinked again. "On what?" Tad tapped his finger against a bar. "Rutabegas. Turnips. Artichokes. Brussel sprouts. Any vegetable that is so unappetizing that it makes me forget my hunger." Zach was making a habit of blinking. "Beets. In that disgusting cream sauce." Tad burst out laughing. "Thanks, I think that did it."

Zach leaned his head back, trying to keep it from spinning. "Was there a little girl in here, or did I dream that?" Tad glanced at him, frowning. "No, thank God. You must have dreamed it." Zach took a deep breath. "Just trying to figure out why I would dream about a little girl." Tad gave him a contemplative look. "When Dixie was pregnant and living in Europe, I would sometimes have dreams about our little girl. I often thought it was because we had a connection. Even while she was still in her mother's womb and living so far away." Zach returned his look with one of incredulity. "A connection? You were probably thinking about her a lot, so naturally you dreamed about her. There's no more to it than that. I'm not thinking about any real daughter of mine. Kendall is carrying Ryan and Greenlee's child. I don't even know what gender it is, and I don't care. I try to avoid thinking about their baby whenever I can." Zach turned over to face the wall. Tad stared at his back, and thought about Kendall's announcement that she was carrying Zach's child. For the first time ever, Tad felt envious of Zach.

Kendall yawned and stretched her arms. When her hand hit the concrete wall of the cell, her eyes flew open. Her waking nightmare. She sighed and put her hand on her abdomen. She glanced over and saw two of the prisoners staring at her and talking to each other. Nodding firmly, they got up and walked over to her. "We think that you are carrying a baby. Is this true?" Kendall frowned. "Its none of your business." The women whispered to each other. "If you are carrying baby, that is very bad for you. Pregnant women do not do well in here. It takes up too much of your energy. Childbirth will be hard and unsafe. Baby will be taken away. Nothing good comes of it. Better to get rid of it, right away, or it will hurt worse later." Kendall felt a stab of fear. "I'm not pregnant. Your warnings are meaningless. Leave me alone." She turned over on her side. She heard them whispering again, but couldn't make anything out because they were walking away.

Author's note: As an intermission of sorts, I have done a slideshow of Rylee and Zendall. I plan to do another later, showcasing the story of The Big Twist. Right now, this one just highlights the four major players and their respective relationships up to now. Click on my profile and you will see the link.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kendall squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will herself to sleep. She had spent the entire day bearing the scrutiny and whisperings of the other inmates. Not that this was anything new since she arrived, but today it had escalated. Kendall was afraid it had to do with the warning one of the inmates gave her this morning. They suspected she was pregnant. Why would they care? Even if what the other woman said was true, what did it matter to them if she suffered or her…her baby was taken away. Why wouldn't they leave her alone?

Kendall felt someone prodding her in the back. She tried to ignore it, but whoever it was would not let up. She turned around and saw several women standing there. "We help you lose your baby. Guard not around to stop us." Her eyes wide with horror, Kendall scrambled backwards several feet until she hit the wall. "I told you I'm not having a baby! Don't come near me!" One of them shook her head solemnly. "It is best to get it over with quickly, or you will regret it later." Kendall stood up. "You don't know anything about how I would feel. Whether I'm pregnant or not is none of your business. If you come near me, you'll be the one filled with regret." She had no idea if the women understood all of what she said. Whether they did or not, they clearly had their own agenda. They began to advance on her.

Kendall screamed. "Guard! Guard! Help me!" Some of the other inmates awoke to the shouting. One of the women walking towards Kendall began speaking in Thai. Several of the freshly woken ladies nodded their heads in apparent agreement, and stood up. A fresh wave of panic overtook Kendall. She continued to scream, frantically trying to decide whether she should fight them off or minimize the damage by curling into a ball. Despite their diminutive size, there were just too many of them. Sobbing, Kendall dropped to the ground and brought her knees up, wrapping her arms around her shins.

She felt them tearing at her, trying to expose her abdomen so they could punch, kick, do whatever they needed to make her miscarry. She heard laughing and cheering from the women who were not participants. Unable to get her to straighten up by pulling at her, they started to hit and kick, raining blows on her back and the top of her head. One kick to her kidney hurt so badly that she was momentarily stunned. That was all they needed. Two women pulled her arms in one direction, and two others had her by the feet. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

At first she thought she imagined the clanging noise. Then she thought it was the audience, banging on the bars in approval of her attackers. Then she heard a gunshot, and there was total silence. She was unceremoniously dropped on the floor. Had the guards come to break up the fight? She heard the cell door being unlocked and opened. Footsteps came near, and the prisoners surrounding her parted ways for the newcomer. Kendall looked up, and couldn't believe her eyes. Anna Devane stood there, looking down at her, relief and a bit of amusement gleamed in her eye. "Leave it to Kendall Hart to cause a prison riot."

Kendall burst into tears. A man came from behind Anna and scooped Kendall up from the floor. He smiled gently. "Lets take you somewhere safe, shall we?" She had no idea who he was, but she curled her arms around his neck tightly. He carried her out of the prison, Anna following behind, wielding her gun. He reached a car and Anna opened the door. He set Kendall inside. "By the way, my name is Frisco Jones. How are you doing, are you feeling okay?" Kendall took a deep breath and winced. "I took a pretty hard blow to the kidneys, but otherwise I guess I'm doing okay."

Anna took Frisco's arm. "I'll drive her to the hospital. I really want you to meet up with Sean. I trust him and Aidan, but…they have a rookie with them." Frisco nodded. She put her hand on his shoulder. "I'll meet you there after I drop off Kendall." He nodded again and walked off to another car. Anna got into the driver's seat and started the car. Kendall looked at her. "Thank you so much for rescuing me. Since you knew where I was, does that mean you know where Zach and Tad are?" Anna nodded. "That's where Frisco is headed now – to meet up with the team that is breaking them out of their prison."

Kendall leaned her head back in relief. "I'm so glad Aidan is part of the team. I know he'll do a good job. Who is Sean? And who is this rookie you mentioned?" Anna glanced at her. "Sean and Frisco are friends of mine from the WSB – we all lived in Port Charles together." Kendall nodded absently. "And the rookie?" Anna glanced at her again. "I think I'll wait and let Greenlee explain that to you."

Kendall stared at Anna. "Greenlee is here?" Anna nodded. "Who do you think got the ball rolling to come rescue you?" Kendall stared ahead for a moment. "I assumed Aidan got concerned when Tad didn't check in with him." Anna nodded. "That was part of it. But Greenlee was the one who jumpstarted Aidan into action, and came to me to ask for help." Kendall's eyes filled with tears. "I don't know why I'm so surprised. She's my best friend. But she can be a little…" Anna smiled wryly. "Self absorbed?" Kendall laughed reluctantly. "Yes. And she's been going through a lot lately. She's been dealing with Ryan's death, and she just got some terrible news. I figured she would be off somewhere mourning." Anna nodded. "That reminds me. I better call her and let her know I'm taking you to the hospital. She and Bianca can meet us there."

Kendall looked at Anna in surprise. "Bianca is here, too?" Anna nodded. "Just her. Miranda is in Paris with Maggie. Greenlee was visiting Bianca when she decided to come see me about finding you." Kendall cocked her head. "I wonder what made Greenlee decide to go to Paris." Anna glanced at her. "I'll go ahead and call Greenlee right now." Anna took her cell phone out and hit a button. Kendall rested her head against the seat back. She looked out the window and thought about Zach. She hoped it wasn't too late to free him. He had looked pretty bad when she saw him last. Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered hearing him calling her name as she was carried away. She wiped away tears as she prayed that Tad had kept him alive long enough to be rescued.

When they got to the hospital, Anna waited for Greenlee and Bianca to arrive, while Kendall was being examined. When the two women came rushing through the doors of the waiting room, Anna shot to her feet and pointed towards the room Kendall was in. "I need to get going, ladies, and join Aidan. I'll see you later." She rushed out the door before they could question her.

When she arrived at the compound, Anna made her way to the rendezvous point. As she approached, she made a low whistle to alert anyone there. She heard an answering whistle. She came into a clearing and saw Ryan leaning over Sean, who was unconscious and bleeding from his shoulder. Damn it," she hissed. She squatted down. Ryan looked up at her. "We got the guy who did this, so we haven't been made yet. But we need to get this mission over with fast so he doesn't bleed to death." Anna wiped her brow. "We can't wait till the mission is over. You and I are going to carry him to my car, and I'll drive him to the hospital. Lets go quickly." They managed to hoist Sean up and carry him back to where she had parked. Anna felt like déjà vu when Ryan bundled him into the car.

As Anna drove away, Ryan made contact with Aidan through the headset. "Anna took Sean to the hospital. Tell me what I need to do." There was a brief crackle. "We've tranqued most of the guards. Stay out there and keep watch until we've gotten them all, and then move in when I tell you. We'll need your help to get them out quickly before the guards wake up. Let us know if anyone arrives or leaves." Ryan looked around. "Roger that." Ryan found a recess where he could see out, but would not be seen. As he waited, his thoughts drifted to Greenlee. During their trip on the jet, she hadn't spoken a word to him. He did, however, catch her looking at him apprehensively whenever he was discussing strategy with Aidan and Anna. He knew she was afraid for his life. That meant she cared, despite her anger.

Ryan heard shouting, followed by grunts and thuds. Aidan's voice barked in his ear. "Move in, now, Ryan! Follow the first corridor on your left. Go!" Ryan rushed inside. He jumped over a couple of unconscious guards, stopping momentarily to take aim at a large man who was starting to groan. He followed Aidan's directions, and found himself at the end of a block of jail cells. Aidan was having a tense discussion with Tad, who looked disheveled, but otherwise fine. Frisco was leaning over Zach, who looked much worse, as if a bus had run over him and then backed up. "What the hell?" Ryan looked over at Tad, who was staring at him in shock. "Damn it, Aidan, they did somehow get some drugs into me. I'm hallucinating Ryan's ghost." Aidan tried not to smile. "Its okay, Tad. You aren't hallucinating. Ryan's alive." Tad shook his head. "Okay, explanations later. Lets get out of here so I can have a cheeseburger."

Tad stood up, but when he tried to walk he started weaving. Ryan went over and, bending at the waist, hoisted Tad over his shoulder. Aidan helped Frisco drape Zach over his shoulder. Then Aidan led the way as they maneuvered around passed out guards and made it back outside. Finally reaching their vehicles, Zach was placed in the back seat of the SUV, and Tad took the passenger seat. Aidan peeled out in the SUV, and Frisco and Ryan followed.

Tad filled Aidan in on everything that had happened to him. He had just finished, when he felt Zach's arm snake around his neck and tighten. "Did you really think you'd get away with hurting her, you son of a bitch?" As usual, Tad was amazed at the strength that Zach seemed to possess at odd moments, despite his poor condition. Startled, Aidan swerved to the side of the road and slammed on his brakes. When the SUV was completely halted, he attempted to extract Zach's arm. "You can't stop me from killing him. He raped Kendall. He murdered her. I heard her screams."

Zach was momentarily distracted when Frisco, who had stopped his car, flung open the back door to the SUV. Aidan managed to free Tad, who quickly opened his door and scrambled out of the vehicle. Zach grabbed Aidan by the shirt. "Where is her body? I need to give her a proper burial." His face was completely stricken by grief, as he choked out the last word. Aidan grabbed him by the shoulders. "Listen to me. Kendall is not dead. She hasn't been hurt. Tad didn't touch her. He was in the cell with you when the guards took her away. Kendall is alive and fine. I'm going to take you to her, now."

All the fight seemed to drain out of Zach in an instant. He slumped back in his seat and closed his eyes. "Kendall….Kendall is alive. Alive and fine." He seemed to go back into a slumber again. Watching all this, Ryan didn't know what to make of it. Greenlee was apparently right about Zach and Kendall. He looked over at Tad, who was leaning against the hood of the SUV. Tad jerked his thumb at the passenger seat. "Ryan, how about you brave the savage beast this time. I've been cooped up with him too long. I'll go with…um….whatever your name is." He lurched over to Frisco, who helped him to his car. Ryan hopped into Aidan's SUV, and they started again on their journey to the hospital.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Frisco was bogged down in some traffic, so he and Tad got to the hospital a good while after Aidan, Ryan and Zach. Anna was waiting outside, and whisked Tad inside as soon as he set foot outside the car. "The doctors want to speak to you right away. While they were working on Mr. Slater, he lapsed into a light coma. Aidan told them what you said to him about the drugs, but the doctors need to question you to try and get to the bottom of this." Tad felt sick. He fed Zach some of the soup not long before they were rescued. Had it been a mistake? Maybe he should never have risked letting Zach ingest an unknown substance, no matter how much he needed food to sustain him. The doctor arrived and led Tad off to the side to question him.

Anna turned to Frisco. He put his arm around her. "How's Sean?" She sighed. "He's going to make it, the tough old bird. You shouldn't stay. You need to get back to your assignment. Thank you so much for helping out with this." Frisco gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Any time. Tell the old buzzard to give me a call when he recovers." He walked away. Anna turned back to where Tad was now coming towards her, dejected. "The doc gave me a severe tongue lashing. I just…I didn't know what to do…" Anna cocked her head. "Who would in your circumstance? He might be even worse off if he'd had nothing to eat or drink in so many days. Did the doctor say whether Mr. Slater will come out of the coma?" Tad shrugged. "He thinks it won't last long. He believes it's just a temporary failsafe mechanism."

Tad looked beyond Anna, with an expression of compassion and dread. Anna looked over her shoulder and saw Kendall heading towards them. She walked stiffly, and she had bruises up and down her arms. There was a patch of gauze taped to her left temple. She stopped in front of them and glared at Tad. "According to Aidan, you're the reason my husband won't regain consciousness. You fed him food laced with drugs, are you crazy?" Tad put his hands in his pocket and looked down. Anna tried not to laugh at his resemblance to a shaggy dog. Kendall took several deep breaths. "Where is he? I want to see him." Tad pointed towards one of the rooms. "They might not be allowing visitors right now." Kendall turned towards the room. "'They' can go fuck themselves."

Kendall went into the room and saw Zach lying prone on the hospital bed. Her knees started to buckle, and she had to hold on to the door frame. There was a nurse checking his vitals. She looked up. "You must not be here, now." Kendall shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks. "No, you are the one who must not be here, now. Please leave me alone with my husband." The nurse narrowed her eyes. After checking her chart again, she shrugged. "Ten minutes." She walked out the room. Kendall pulled a chair over and slumped in it. She stared at him a moment, periodically wiping her eyes. "If you think that looking so pathetic will result in my forgiving you - think again. You lied to me, Zach. Greenlee told me all about Ryan still being alive. When he walked in the door with Aidan…I died a little inside. He didn't tell me about your involvement, but I figured it out. I came to you twice, Zach. I begged you to tell me if he was still alive, and you lied. How am I supposed to deal with all this? How am I supposed to deal with the fact that I'm carrying your baby? That you lied to me over and over? That you're in a coma and may never come out of it so that I…I can beat you to death for what you did to me." Unable to speak anymore, she started sobbing.

Greenlee walked up to Zach's room and hesitated in the doorway. She stared at Kendall's shaking shoulders, at Zach's inert form under the hospital sheets. Bile rose in her throat as she thought about the people that did this to Zach. Ryan had gone into that hell-hole to help rescue Zach and Tad. If the mission had failed, he could have been in Zach's situation. Greenlee remembered freaking out when Anna showed up with a bloody and wounded Sean Donely. As angry and hurt as she was finding out that Ryan was alive, she didn't want him dead, either. Not unless it was by her hand. Then Ryan walked into the hospital with Aidan, and Greenlee had to restrain herself from flying over to him to hug him. Damn Ryan.

Greenlee took a deep breath, and walked over to Kendall. "Kendall, you haven't had anything to eat. I think we need to get you back to your room, so you can get some nourishment. Don't make me force you, because you know I always get what I want." Kendall wiped her eyes and glared at her in exasperation. "Bully." She stood up and started towards the door. She looked back at Zach, and her knees buckled again. Greenlee grabbed her. "Kendall? What's the matter?" Kendall shook her head. "Just a little woozy. You're right, I need to eat." They walked out the door. After a brief moment, Zach opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He frowned in bewilderment. "Kendall?"

Anna was passing by his door and heard him calling out. She poked her head in and he looked over at her. She flagged down the doctor, who went in to examine Zach. Anna went to find Kendall. She was told by Bianca that Kendall's doctor was running another test. By the time she got back to the room, Zach's doctor was coming out. "May I see him?" The doctor nodded. "Only for a short time. He seems to be lucid enough, but take it easy with him."

Anna walked into the room and sat in the chair that Kendall had vacated. Zach Slater leveled her with a piercing gaze. She stared back, equally assessing. "Mr. Slater, my name is…" He interrupted her. "I know who you are. You're Anna Hayward. You were the chief of police in Pine Valley. You were the one who arrested my brother, Michael." She nodded once, remaining expressionless. He's definitely lucid enough. "Actually, it's Anna Devane, but you knew that." She let him know that he wasn't going to needle her. So much for taking it easy. He smiled, humorlessly. "I remember being disappointed that I couldn't lure you back to Pine Valley for my murder game. You were one of my prime suspects. The thwarted police chief who mysteriously resigned after Michael disappeared. With your background you could have easily murdered him and disposed of any evidence." Anna cocked her head. This was certainly an interesting conversation to have with a man who just woke up from a coma. He stopped smiling. "You turned out to be one of the people I was wrong about. Where's Kendall?"

Anna wasn't ruffled by the sudden change in gears. "The doctor is running some tests, to make sure there's no permanent injury to her kidneys." Zach took a deep breath. "What happened to her?" Anna explained about the prison and the inmates who decided to terminate her pregnancy. Zach grew pale. Anna assured him that Kendall and the baby were fine. Zach stared at the ceiling for a few moments. "Why did she and Tad come looking for me in the first place? That was an incredibly dangerous thing to do." Anna raised one eyebrow. "You're surprised that your wife wanted to know why her husband fell off the face of the earth?" Zach shifted on his bed. "Our marriage isn't a love match. We married for business purposes. Kendall stands to gain a great deal if I die." Anna wasn't buying it, but she decided to humor him anyway. "Well, there you are, that's the reason. She needed to find proof of your death so she could get her hands on a fortune." Zach narrowed his eyes for a moment, then smiled. "Tell me everything. I know that Kendall and Tad appeared in my jail cell, and she was carried away. I know I spent some time in the cell with Tad, but don't really know how long. I think my jailers were drugging me. How did you get involved?"

Anna filled him in on the rescue mission instigated by Greenlee. He quietly listened, tapping his finger on the sheet. "There is still something I don't understand. I find it hard to believe that Greenlee would have let Kendall set foot out of Pine Valley, much less come chasing after me in Thailand. Not when she was carrying Greenlee's child." Anna tapped her foot. "A couple of things happened to distract Greenlee. One of which was her husband, Ryan, returning from the dead." Zach closed his eyes and shook his head. There was a voice from the doorway. "You don't look too happy about the news of my resurrection." Anna shivered at the look Zach gave Ryan. She stood up. "I'll let you two play catch up." She left the room.

Ryan took the seat that Anna vacated. Zach glared at him. Ryan threw up his hands. "Turns out I was about as successful at faking my death as you were." Zach shook his head. "I was hoping that seeing you walk into that cell with Aidan and that other guy was just another one of my hallucinations. I'm not going to bother asking you why you decided to come back from the dead. My head hurts enough already." There was a long pause. Ryan smiled. "You're welcome." Zach narrowed his eyes. "You believe I'm thanking you for something?" Ryan held his hands up. "For rescuing you, of course." Zach laughed. "I'm sure you were more interested in getting Tad out of there. But you couldn't hang on to your self-righteousness if you had left me behind." Ryan shook his head. "You ungrateful bastard." Zach smirked. "Oh, I'm very grateful to Tad for trying to get me out. And to Aidan and the other guy for succeeding. You, I think, were in on it just to score points with Greenlee."

Ryan sniffed. "Why would I need to score points with Greenlee?" Zach laughed. "Oh, I imagine she's pretty pissed right about now. I've gotten to know her since you've been gone. Yep, I'm willing to bet she hates your guts." Ryan shifted in his seat, his jaw clenching. "How the hell have you been getting to know my wife?" Zach was amused. "Greenlee spends a lot of time with my wife. I try to spend a lot of time with my wife. Ergo, I spend a lot of time with Greenlee." Ryan drummed his nails. "You want to tell me some more about that? Kendall and Greenlee suddenly becoming joined at the hip, what's up with that?"

Greenlee was about to walk into Zach's room and heard Ryan's question. Damn it! If Zach mentions the surrogacy, then Ryan will tell Zach about what she said to Ryan - that Kendall was carrying Zach's child. Kendall wanted to break that news herself. She hurried into the room. "Kendall and I became joined at the hip because when someone really cares about you, they stand by your side, no matter what." She drew out the last three words, narrowing her eyes at Ryan. Zach chuckled. "I was right about Greenlee. She definitely hates your guts." Greenlee turned to Zach. "Don't speak for me, Zach. You're on my shit list for helping Ryan leave. Not that you were ever off it, but you had a pretty low ranking for awhile. Now you're up to second place."

Zach sighed. "I'm getting a lot of visitors since I woke up. None of them have been my wife. Anna Devane told me she was getting some tests done. Is she finished? I want to see Kendall." Greenlee folded her arms. "She traveled half-way across the world to find you and nearly got herself killed. You can damn well wait until the doctor is through with her." Greenlee felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back. It was Kendall. "The doctor is through with me, now. So you and Ryan need to scram." She jerked her thumb towards the exit. Greenlee gave her a quick hug, and then walked out the door, Ryan close behind her. Kendall and Zach were alone. Their eyes locked. Kendall slowly walked towards him and sat on the edge of the bed. "You lying, sneaking, heartless son of a bitch!" He didn't say a word. He was looking at the bruises on her arms. His face grim, he reached out and lightly touched one of the larger ones. Her face started to crumple as her emotions overwhelmed her. Biting back a groan of frustration, she put her hands on either side of his face and leaned over to kiss him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

For a long time, the greater part of Zach's brain had been occupied with the conclusion that he would never make it out of that prison alive, and therefore never feel the touch of Kendall's lips again. The smaller, inexplicably hopeful part of Zach's brain thought he might eventually escape. But even with such an optimistic outlook, he had been unable to conjure up any expectation that when he got back home, she would welcome him with open arms. All he could think is that by the time he got back to Pine Valley, she would be preoccupied with her pregnancy or, if he took longer, helping Greenlee raise the child. She would have had time to remember all the reasons she hated him, and wonder why she was crazy enough to let him touch her in the first place. He held on to that one perfect night, figuring it would be the only time in his life that he would get to make love to his wife.

Now here she was again, cursing him out (apparently she _did_ remember all the reasons she hated him), and yet kissing him anyway. Wondering why good fortune would smile on him (Kendall's fury notwithstanding), he decided to savor the moment fully before she started cursing him again. He slipped his arms around her waist so that he could pull her closer. A muffled squeak from her had him cursing himself much more effectively than she could possibly do. Her kidney! Damn it! He let her pull away and cursed himself anew at the pained expression on her face. Unable to stop himself, he pulled her shirt up to expose the hideously large and ugly bruise residing on her lower back. "God, Kendall. A blow like that could have killed you."

She jerked away from him, pulling her shirt down. "Well, it didn't. I'm alive and ready to let you have it for what you've done." His face became expressionless. "Is that why you rescued me, Kendall? So you could lecture me about my lies? I think letting me rot would have been a more effective punishment." She stood up. "You think so? You haven't seen me when I'm really angry. But that's beside the point. I only found out about Ryan today." He contemplated her with unreadable eyes. "Then why did you come to Thailand? I can't imagine that the casinos are doing that poorly without me." She stared at him a moment, suddenly unable to tell him about their baby. When she didn't answer him, his gaze lowered to her abdomen. "Odd, but I thought you'd be showing more than that. The doctor told me what day and month it is today. By my calculations, you should have a bigger bump."

She backed away. He was getting too close to the truth. She couldn't face telling him right now. "The baby is fine, its just small. Nothing to worry about." That was about as truthful as she could get at the moment. They needed to talk about other things. "Zach. I need you to tell me what happened with Ryan. I need to know why you felt like you had to lie to me. We have to work through this before we can talk about anything else." He narrowed his eyes, as if he knew she was hiding something, and wanted to pry it out of her. However, he acquiesced and began to tell her all about the night Ryan faked his death.

Ryan took a sip of arguably the worst coffee he had ever tasted. He looked over at Greenlee, who was talking to Bianca. Every so often, Greenlee's eyes would stray towards him, flash in anger, and then dart back to Bianca. He had hurt her so badly, but he held out hope that her love for him would win out in the end. But the worst wasn't over yet. She still didn't know about Jonathan. Ryan's cell phone vibrated. He looked at the screen and answered it. "What is it, Erin?" He heard sniffling. "Oh, Ryan, I've made such a mess of things. I'm so sorry." Ryan glanced over at Greenlee, who was once again glaring daggers at him. He strode out of the waiting area, and made his way outside. "What happened, Erin?" She groaned. "Jonathan gave me the slip. I searched everywhere for him but he was gone. I tried calling you, but there was never a signal. And then…and then…" Ryan sat down on a bench and waited for her to continue. "I got a call from the Pine Valley police department. Ryan, he went to Pine Valley looking for you and Greenlee. The cops found him and arrested him. He's going to be charged with murder, Ryan."

Ryan bent at the waist as if someone had punched him in the stomach. "Oh no, Erin. This is…this is a disaster. I need to…I need to get back to Pine Valley right away. I'm not needed here anyway. I'll call you again when I know when my flight comes in. Meanwhile, get in touch with Livia Frye. F-r-y-e. She's a lawyer in Pine Valley, an excellent lawyer. Tell her everything and ask if she'll represent Jonathan. Okay?" Erin took a shuddering breath. "Okay, Ryan. Livia Frye. I'll do that." He hung up the cell phone.

Ryan went back inside and hunted down Anna. "I need to get back to Pine Valley right away. I have some personal business to take care of." She nodded. "I'll make the arrangements." He smiled and started to turn away. "Ryan…Aidan was telling me about the mission, and how well you did. You kept your head, followed orders, and got the job done. Chris…I know Chris wasn't your father, but…he would have been proud of you today." Ryan winced as he contemplated Chris. "Though probably not so proud of some of my other recent actions, huh?" Anna cocked her head. "No, probably not. But I think if he were here, he'd say that it doesn't matter how many stupid decisions you've made in the past, you have to focus on the smart decisions you are going to make in the future." Ryan smiled. "Or he'd just buy me a beer and tell me to get the fuck over myself." Anna laughed. "Okay, I guess he would take the less eloquent route. I miss him so much." There was a catch in her voice as she said the last sentence. Ryan came closer and hugged her.

Greenlee walked up and saw them hugging. Well, great. Was Anna going to be on the Ryan love train, like Bianca? That wasn't fair. Bianca didn't exactly urge Greenlee to get back together with Ryan, but she had told her to think about it long and hard before coming to any decision – which was just as annoying. Annoying, because now Greenlee was thinking that maybe she should sit down and have a long talk with Ryan. Much as she hated to think about it, he was still her husband. She cleared her throat. Ryan and Anna pulled apart. Anna smiled. "We were reminiscing about Chris Stamp." Greenlee scowled. "Chris was a very nice man, but I really wished he hadn't found out that Ryan wasn't his son, and then put it in his journal. If Ryan hadn't read that journal…." She threw up her hands. "I thought I could do this. I can't do this. The profoundly stupid things you've done since reading that journal…" She couldn't go on.

Anna glanced at Ryan. "Um, I'll go make those travel arrangements for you." Ryan turned to her. "Thanks, Anna." She nodded and walked away. Greenlee stared after her, then back at Ryan. "You're going somewhere?" Ryan nodded. "I have to go back to Pine Valley. Something urgent has come up. I need to talk to you about it, before I go." She held up her hands. "I don't want to know." She turned to stomp off, and Ryan grabbed her arm. "Well, you're going to know, one way or another. I guarantee you that if you don't hear it from me, you'll be hearing it from Jackson soon. I really want, for once, to be able to tell you the truth. Please." She gaped at him, and then realized that whatever he was going to tell her was major. She started to tremble. "Ryan, I can't…I don't know if I can take any more bad news. The past week has been so horrible." Her voice cracked. Ryan indicated a bench. "Sit down, Greenlee."

Kendall walked out of Zach's room in a daze. She had just told Zach that she needed time to think. She didn't know how to take it all in. Zach claimed that he went along with Ryan's plan, and helped him out, because he wanted to keep Greenlee and Kendall safe from Ryan's violent tendencies. Yet, in order to accomplish that goal, he had to lie repeatedly to Kendall and watch her and Greenlee grieve over a man who was really alive. He had argued strenuously against them going along with the surrogacy – for a very good reason – yet didn't _tell_ them about the very good reason why they shouldn't make another child of Ryan. Kendall slumped into a hard plastic waiting room chair, wincing at its effect on her bruises. She remembered that night at BJ's, when she confronted Zach about Lily's claim that she hadn't seen a ghost after all. Zach had turned it around on her and made it seem as if she were making the accusation out of her own insecurity. He had deliberately poked at her sore spot, while she was hopped up on hormones (not that he had known it at the time), in order to deflect her from discovering the truth. What a horrible moment it had seemed at the time – and how much worse now that she knew the truth.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she tried to sort through her emotions. The angry part of her wanted to believe that he was jerking her around, and had been jerking her around since day one – like her mother warned her. Her mother right about something? She shook her head. What would be the point of him jerking her around? What did he have to gain? He played games, that was for sure. The night of the murder game would go down in infamy in Pine Valley. But he had an agenda then – he wanted to find out the truth about his brother. He didn't do it for some sick thrill, though it had seemed that way to her at the time. Zach was a master manipulator, but he always had a motive that wasn't necessarily self-serving. Kendall remembered when she had the whole town thinking that she had married Michael and was carrying his child, all so she could protect Bianca. Kendall put her head in her hands. How would she ever come to terms with this?

Kendall sensed someone sitting down beside her. She looked over and saw Tad. She straightened up and stared at him. "You. You were in on one of the biggest lies that ever rocked Pine Valley. You let JR believe his son was dead because you were afraid he would make his son into the mold of his grandfather. In the name of protecting little Adam, you told one of the most disgusting and horrible lies that anyone can ever tell another person." Tad rubbed his eyes. "I have the feeling this has something to do with Ryan's not-so-miraculous rise from the dead." Kendall looked over at Zach's room. "It has to do with Zach letting everyone think that Ryan was dead." Tad's eyes popped open. "Oh, lord, please don't tell me that Zach and I have something in common. Ugh." Kendall whipped her head around. "No, not that much in common. Your lie involved the supposed death of an innocent child, who wasn't allowed to make the decision for himself. Ryan may act like a child, but he is no innocent. He was the instigator, and Zach was just going along with it. So don't ever think you two have something in common."

Kendall blinked as she realized what she just said. Ryan was the instigator. He wanted it to happen. Kendall remembered that night when Zach came back to the VIP suite and started asking her questions about Ryan and what the future would have held for him and Greenlee if he lived. She also remembered in that horrid argument with Zach at BJ's, when he implied that Ryan claiming to be dead would be a much worse blow to Greenlee than her actually believing he was dead. He really believed he was doing the right thing, no matter how much it had hurt her and Greenlee in the process. Kendall remembered the look on Bianca's face when she announced that she had married Michael. Her sister had married her rapist. Kendall had almost been felled by her expression, but she had stood firm because ultimately, she was protecting her sister.

Kendall stood up and started walking towards Zach's room, barely registering Tad's sarcastic, "Glad I could help!" Before she could reach his room, she was interrrupted by Greenlee. "Kendall! Ryan just told me the most horrible news." Kendall looked at her in exasperation, but paused when she saw the ashen expression on her friend's face. Kendall gripped her arm, and Greenlee took a deep breath. "Apparently Ryan isn't the only one back from the dead. Jonathan escaped the explosion up on the mountain. That psycho is alive, Kendall."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Zach watched as Greenlee waylaid Kendall outside his room. Greenlee looked white as a sheet. Whatever she was telling Kendall made the blood drain from her face, too. Zach threw back his sheet. He winced when he moved his legs. He took a deep breath and maneuvered himself off the bed. He heard Kendall say, "This is horrible! Oh God! I can't believe this!" Zach leaned on the chair as he made his way to the door. When he finally got there, Greenlee and Kendall were clutching each other. "What is it? Is it the baby? What's wrong?" Kendall looked at Zach in amazement. "What the hell are you doing out of bed? Are you crazy?"

She rushed over to support him and lead him back into his room. "Please, Kendall, tell me what has you so upset?" She helped him get back in bed. "Zach, it's not good. Not good at all." She sighed. "You'd better tell him, Greenlee. I'm still trying to process it." Greenlee sat in the chair and told him about Jonathan. His hands clenched into fists as he listened to her tell him that the maniac who killed Edmund, poisoned Greenlee, hit Maggie and menaced Bianca and Miranda, then kidnapped Greenlee, Kendall, and Lily, was alive and back in Pine Valley. What was worse, Ryan was apparently planning to try and set him free.

Greenlee stood up and paced. "I have to go back to Pine Valley. I have to prove to Ryan, somehow, that his brother needs to rot in jail. I don't care about some damn tumor, Jonathan is evil. Every moment that he spends in Pine Valley is more time that his evilness has the chance to ooze out and contaminate everyone. I want him gone." Kendall gripped her arm. "You need to get ahold of yourself, Greenlee. You can't go running back to Pine Valley to confront Jonathan. He's dangerous." Greenlee took Kendall's hand off her arm. "Kendall, you remember how you felt when…" She glanced at Zach. "…when Michael was set free at the preliminary hearing? You were practically crawling out of your skin to eliminate him altogether from Pine Valley. That's how I feel about Jonathan. He violated so many people. Ryan needs to understand this. I can't have Jonathan in my life."

Kendall raised one eyebrow. "Jonathan wouldn't be in your life unless Ryan were in your life. Does this mean…?" Greenlee squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't answer that, Kendall. I have to get through one shitstorm at a time." She opened her eyes and looked at Kendall pleadingly. "Come back with me, Kendall. Help me to prove Jonathan is still a psycho." Kendall sighed and glanced at Zach. "I can't, Greenlee. Zach is going to be in the hospital awhile, and I don't think I should leave him." Zach spoke up. "It's not a problem. I'll go with the two of you." Kendall glared at Zach. "If you think the doctors are going to let you leave now, the drugs must not have worn off yet. You're in terrible shape, Zach." His expression was determined. "The doctors don't own me, I can do whatever I want. And I'm fine. I made it to the door, didn't I?" Kendall shook her head in exasperation.

Greenlee headed for the door. "It's settled. I'll go make the arrangements for travel." Kendall shot to her feet. "Zach, I just remembered. I need to tell Bianca! She needs to know about Jonathan so she can warn Maggie." She flew out the door. Zach was alone once more. He found himself wondering what Kendall would have had to say to him if she hadn't been interrupted by the news about Jonathan. After he had explained to her why he helped Ryan fake his death, she had gone off to think about it for awhile. Whatever conclusion she had reached, it had obviously not affected her concern for his health. She also didn't seem to mind his desire to go back to Pine Valley with her and Greenlee. He was relieved about that.

Zach leaned back on the pillows and strategized over the best way to keep Kendall away from Jonathan. He found that slipping into protector mode was like wearing an old shoe. It was the role in which he was most comfortable. It was why he lurched out of bed to find out what had caused Kendall such distress earlier. Most of the time she was willing to let him into her universe if he was there to help her out. Is that what he would always be to her? Was it enough? Why was he even thinking about this? Nothing good could come of him examining his feelings for Kendall. As bad as it had turned out with Maria, Kendall was ten times more capable of inflicting wounds. He didn't want to go through that again. He led with his heart once before, and it had cost him dearly.

Zach shook his head. Why was he thinking about his heart in relation to Kendall? She was exasperating, infuriating, intriguing, and quite alluring. But love her? He'd rather shake her. His love for Maria had never been like that. It had physical passion, yes, but otherwise their love had been serene and confident. There was never the fireworks, uncertainty, or dancing around each other. Zach closed his eyes and tried to will away his thoughts. He was Kendall's business partner. Her protector. For one glorious night he had been her lover. That was all he could ever be, because he remained convinced that she still loved Ryan. The depression that came over him from that thought was so severe that he knew it could only portend one thing. It was time to face facts. He was in love with his wife.

Kendall found Bianca talking to Aidan. "I'm glad I found you both. Aidan, you're still dating Anita, right? I'm figuring that the Santos sisters are probably in freakout mode right now." She captured Bianca's hand in hers and told them both about Jonathan. Bianca let out a cry of horror. "I have to warn Maggie." She took off, digging her cell phone out. Aidan was furious. "I have a lot of respect for Ryan and his loyalty to people, but how could he do this? How could he possibly think that Jonathan should be set free?" Kendall threw up her hands. "Ryan has always had a blind spot when it comes to his brother. He wants so desperately to believe that Jonathan isn't evil, because he sees it all as being genetic. If Jonathan is evil, like Braden was evil and their father was evil, then he's going to be evil too. If Jonathan is not evil, then it was just a fluke that Braden turned out to be as twisted as their old man and therefore Ryan doesn't have to worry about catching the evil disease. As if looking in a mirror and examining his life up to now wouldn't accomplish the same thing."

Kendall sat down in a nearby chair. "Greenlee has decided to go to Pine Valley to make sure Jonathan stays in jail. She'll be at complete odds with her husband. Zach and I are going with her to make sure that she doesn't get into trouble." Aidan raised one eyebrow. "Zach? Is he okay to travel?" Kendall rolled her eyes. "No, but he's determined to do it. I learned a long time ago not to argue with him when his mind is made up." Aidan's lip quirked. "You sound like a married woman, there." Kendall frowned at him. "Hello, Aidan. News flash. I am a married woman." Aidan sighed. "A real married woman, as opposed to a pseudo-business partner, or whatever you two have been since the spring. You're even going to have his baby."

Kendall's jaw dropped. "How did you…? Oh, Greenlee. She has such a big mouth. Look, don't open yours to Zach, please. I haven't told him yet." Aidan folded his arms. "And why not?" She threw up her hands. "When have I had the time? You know, between trying to rescue Zach and getting thrown in prison and being beat up and Zach going into a coma and finding out Ryan is alive and Zach was in on it, and now Jonathan is alive…." Aidan continued staring at her as if waiting for more. Kendall's throat started to constrict. "What if…what if he reacts badly? He doesn't want children, Aidan. Look how he dealt with finding out Ethan was his son. What if he turns his back on us? Or worse, what if he stays with us out of obligation? Out of a sense of…responsibility." She spit the last word out.

Aidan leaned towards her. "Tell me something, Kendall. If you don't want Zach to turn his back on you and your child, and you don't want him sticking around to help you raise the child….what do you want?" Her eyes filled with tears. Her words came in a low wail. "I want him to stay because he wants to stay. Because he wants our baby. Because he…he wants me." Aidan put his hand on hers. "You don't think he wants you?" She hung her head. "After we…we spent the night together, he took off to Thailand, so he could help Julia. I didn't want him to go because it was so dangerous – and I was right! But he left anyway. It was like he couldn't get away fast enough."

Aidan started to chuckle. Kendall stared at him in incredulity. The chuckle became a laugh. "Aidan!" He put his hand over his mouth, to try and hide his mirth. "I'm sorry, Kendall. Its just the idea of a man running away after making love to you is completely ludicrous." He doubled over in laughter. Kendall looked around for a handy blunt instrument. She found a magazine and rolled it up. He threw up his hands. "I apologize! I won't laugh anymore. Honestly, Kendall, your self-esteem couldn't get any lower. You can't seem to understand just how incredible you are. After spending the night with you, I'm thinking that if Zach was running away from anything, it would be his feelings for you." She lowered the magazine and blinked at him. "You really think so?"

Aidan nodded. "And I don't think he was the only one running. How many weeks did you wait before you tried to find Zach? And you only went looking for him when you thought you had a valid reason…other than the perfectly legitimate reason that you wanted your husband home with you." Aidan put his hands on either side of her face. "I want you to look inside yourself, right now, Kendall. Stop running and face your feelings. Why do you want Zach to want you?" Her lower lip trembled. Her voice was a whisper. "Because I love him."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Greenlee frowned at Kendall. What was going on with her anyway? For the past couple of hours, ever since the jet took off, her and Zach kept giving each other these strange looks. It was getting on her nerves. On the jet, the seats were arranged such that a set of two seats would face another set of two seats, which would be back to back with another set of two, and so on in groupings of four. Then there was another column of seats across the aisle. Greenlee was in a window seat with Kendall next to her and Bianca sitting across from Greenlee. On the other side of the aisle, Ryan sat diagonal from Kendall. Tad was next to him in the window seat, and facing them were Aidan and Anna. Zach was alone in the grouping of seats behind Ryan and Tad, in the aisle seat facing Kendall.

Anna had decided that since everyone seemed to want to go back to Pine Valley at the same time, she would send them all on the same jet that took them to Thailand. The jet would make a stop in Paris to refuel and drop off Anna and Bianca. Greenlee looked up and her eyes caught sight of Ryan again. Why did he have to sit right in that spot? He probably did it to needle her. And of course, whenever her eyes slid away from Ryan, Zach came into her line of sight. Sometimes he would stare out the window, and other times he was looking at Kendall with one of those….intense contemplation expressions. But Kendall was even more annoying. Greenlee would be talking to her and her eyes would stray over to him. If it was one of those moments when Zach was looking at her, she would quickly drop her eyes. Greenlee wanted to shake her and tell her that they weren't in high school any more But that would be hypocritical since she was doing the same damn thing with Ryan. She looked up and her eyes locked with Ryan again. Oh, for fuck's sake.

Greenlee unbuckled her seatbelt. "Bianca, could you do me a huge favor? Switch seats with me?" Bianca raised her eyebrows. Greenlee smiled wanly. "I like to sit facing front in an airplane. It weirds me out to be flying backwards." Bianca smiled and unbuckled her belt. They switched sides, so that Bianca was now sitting with Kendall. Kendall gave Greenlee a "what was that load you were shoveling?" look. Greenlee glanced in Ryan's direction and then gave Kendall a "figure it out!" look. Kendall rolled her eyes. But then her eyes collided with Zach's again, and she looked down. Maybe Greenlee had the right idea.

Bianca leaned over and whispered to Kendall. "What is going on with you? I've never seen you act this flustered before." Kendall sighed. "Oh Binks, everything is just so confusing. Six months ago I would have laughed at myself for wanting the things I want now. I didn't want to be a mother. I didn't want to be in love, especially not with the man I married specifically because I thought it would be impossible to fall in love with him. I guess I can blame this mess on my inability to back down from a challenge. Can't fall in love with Zach Slater, eh? Well we'll see about that! I have no idea what is going on in his head, what he thinks of me. What's worse is that I know full well what he thinks about having children of his own. He's dead set against it." Bianca held Kendall's hand. "You don't think he'll take off the way Ryan did?" Kendall shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure he would stay and help me raise the little one. So here would be me, loving him. And there would be him, fulfilling an obligation. The idea makes me vomit."

Bianca chuckled. "The scenario isn't completely nauseating. Have you seen him with Miranda? He adores her. She adores him, too. They love spending time together. Imagine what it would be like with his own child." Kendall shook her head. "I haven't seen him with her, but it only stands to reason. Mimo would charm the socks off anyone." Bianca laughed. "And you think your child wouldn't? Oh Kendall, I wish I knew what to say to make you feel better. Do you want me to go over there and pick his brain?" Kendall clutched Bianca's arm. "Don't you dare! Damn it, I feel like I'm in middle school. Maybe I should write him a note and stick it in his locker."

The jet landed in Paris and everyone disembarked to stretch their legs. They said their good-byes to Bianca and Anna. As Kendall and Bianca hugged, Bianca whispered to her, "You better tell him soon, because too many people know. You don't want him to hear it from someone else." Kendall was the last one back on the plane. Aidan and Greenlee were sitting together, with Greenlee next to the window, and Tad sat opposite them. Ryan was on the other side of the aisle, across from Tad. Zach was in the seat grouping behind Greenlee and Aidan, facing in the direction of Ryan. On impulse, Kendall sat down next to Ryan. She needed to talk to him about a few things.

"Tell me something, Ryan. What do you plan to do if you manage to get Jonathan out of jail?" He looked over at Kendall. "I plan to take care of him and my sister, the way I failed to do when I escaped from my father and left them behind." She drummed her fingers on the arm rest. "In Pine Valley?" He leaned his head back. "I'd like to, but that depends on how people react to Jonathan." She narrowed her eyes. "You mean you think there might be a reaction other than people running away from him, afraid for their lives?" Ryan gave her a pained look. "I'm hoping that people will realize that his tumor and the anti-psychotics were what caused him to do those horrible things." Kendall shook her head. "The only reason you think that is true is because you want it to be true. Everyone else just sees a murderer who hid behind a mask of civility for months. They call people like that sociopaths. Brain tumors and wrong prescriptions don't wipe that away." Ryan leaned closer. "You remember when Greenlee tried to run you down with her car? It was because of the anti-psychotics. She wasn't herself." Kendall snorted. "Or maybe she was herself with just a few less inhibitions."

Ryan leaned back and sighed. "Maybe it is hopeless to think that Jonathan will ever be accepted. Erin has a very nice cabin up in Nova Scotia. If I can get Jonathan out of jail, we can go up there and start over fresh. I would….I would love it if Greenlee came with us." Kendall glanced over at Greenlee, who was looking at them with narrowed eyes. "Only time will tell, Ryan, whether she can forgive you. It took me a long time before I forgave the two of you for treating me like shit. But I did. You may have to go up to Canada without her, and hope that she comes to find you eventually." Ryan gazed at Greenlee, who turned her head away to talk to Aidan. "Yeah."

Kendall glanced past Aidan's seat, to Zach, who was watching her and Ryan. As usual, his expression was completely unreadable. She leaned over to Ryan to whisper in his ear. "I need to ask you a favor." He turned his head, his nose colliding with hers. "Oh, sorry." She shook her head. "Its okay. Um…I still haven't had the chance to tell…" She leaned closer again, not wanting Zach to overhear. "…to tell Zach that I'm pregnant." Ryan raised one eyebrow. "You had plenty of opportunity on the flight from Thailand to Paris." She glared at him. "The point is that he doesn't know yet. Please don't blab it to him until I've had the chance." He shrugged. "Fine. But tell him soon, you know how things get out." Kendall nodded. "Of course, of course." Ryan glanced over at Zach. "Why are you stalling anyway? You think…you think he'll react the way I did when Greenlee told me she was pregnant?" She shook her head. "No, I just…everything is just so complicated already. Did Greenlee tell you about the surrogacy?" Ryan stared at her. "What surrogacy?" Kendall sighed and explained to him about her being implanted with their embryo.

Ryan stared at her in amazement. "My God, Kendall. You were carrying my child? Mine and Greenlee's?" She nodded. "I thought I was still pregnant when Zach and I… Well, I wasn't. That's how I got to be carrying his baby. Greenlee and I found out the truth when there was an ultrasound. When we got the news, I took off to find Zach, and Greenlee was apparently getting a visit from Erin." Ryan rubbed his eyes. "Poor Greenlee. What terrible timing to find out the news about me." He turned to face Kendall, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Thank you. Thank you for being there for her and wanting to help her. That was a major sacrifice you were willing to make. And after all the ways we hurt you…" He gave her a hug. When the hug ended, Ryan glanced over at Zach. "Kendall…I think now would be a good time to go and talk to your husband." She bit her lip and looked over at Zach.

Zach's worst fears were coming true right before his eyes. Kendall had avoided him the entire flight, thus far. Now she was sitting with Ryan. They were in deep discussion, and a couple of times she leaned in to whisper something to him. When their noses touched, Zach wanted to rip the magazine he wasn't reading to shreds. It was obvious what was going on. Greenlee no longer wanted anything to do with Ryan. She would probably draw up divorce papers as soon as they got back home. Kendall was having Ryan's child. Granted, it was Greenlee's egg, but Kendall was the one carrying it. By now she's probably heard the heartbeat, seen an ultrasound. Maybe it was even starting to kick at this point. She's been bonding with the child, and now she was bonding with it's father. He watched Ryan smile at Kendall with an expression of wonderment, and then hug her.

Zach's world came crashing down around him. For the second time, he was witness to the woman he loved choosing another man over him. He clenched his jaw when Ryan glanced his way and whispered something to Kendall. She bit her lip and looked over at Zach. Ah yes. They were discussing the one remaining obstacle to their happiness. Her husband. She stood up, and with the look of someone heading to the gallows, she walked his way. Zach tossed the magazine into one of the opposite seats. Kendall sat down beside him, and cleared her throat. "How are you feeling? I think when we get back to Pine Valley, you should visit the hospital and get a checkup." He wasn't about to sit through any pleasantries. He looked over at her, and paused. The expression on her face was one of dread. She looked like she would burst into tears at any moment. Was she so afraid of his reaction? Did she really think he would stand in the way of her happiness?

"Kendall, I've told you over and over again that you call the shots in this marriage. It was always up to you whether we stay married or got a divorce. You helped me out with the gambling licenses, you did your part. You've always been free to leave, any time you want." She stared him. What the hell was he talking about? She suggested he go to the hospital, and he starts going on about divorce? "Zach, I…" He took her hand in his. "Let me make it easy for you, Kendall. As soon as the jet lands, I can hop a plane to Haiti and get this marriage over with as quickly and painlessly as possible. You don't even have to come with me. No fuss, no muss."

Kendall was finding it hard to breath. Where was this coming from? He was talking about divorce being her choice, yet he was practically shoving it down her throat. Was he manipulating her again? Pretending that it was up to her, yet making sure that he got what he wanted - which was apparently to be completely done with her. She hadn't even told him about the baby yet. She pulled her hand away from him and stumbled to her feet. "I..uh…I need to go to the restroom. You know how it is with pregnant women." Without waiting for his reply, she lurched down the aisle to the tiny bathroom. She locked herself in and put down the lid. She sat down and put her head in her hands. Her body racking with sobs, she gave into her misery.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ryan checked his watch. Less than an hour before the jet landed in Pine Valley. He glanced back at the seat behind Tad. Kendall was still slumped against the wall, fast asleep. A long time ago, after talking with Zach, she headed towards the bathroom, looking visibly upset. When she came out later, her eyes were red. She sat down in that seat, obviously wanting to be alone, and had fallen into a troubled slumber. Ryan looked over at Zach every once in awhile, and saw that he didn't look any happier. In fact, he looked like a caged tiger - shifting restlessly in his seat, pretending to read a magazine and then tossing it down. He spent a lot of time on his cell phone, until a little while ago when the pilot asked that they all turn their cells off. Sometimes Zach would crane his neck, looking in the general direction of Kendall's seat, even though he couldn't see her from where he was. What had gone down between them? He must have reacted badly to Kendall's news about the baby, because she was clearly heartbroken.

Ryan shifted in his seat. He couldn't let it stay this way. He couldn't let Slater make the same stupid mistake he had. He looked over at Greenlee, who was also sleeping. She had tried to give him something special and he tossed it away. He couldn't seem to make right what he had done. They had gone past the point of no return. But maybe, just maybe it wasn't too late for Zach and Kendall and their baby. Ryan unbuckled his seatbelt and went over to sit across from Zach. Zach gave him a look that probably struck terror in his casino employees. "What do you want, Lavery?" Ryan leaned towards Zach. "What happened between you and Kendall?" Zach looked away in annoyance, then looked back. "I would say its none of your business, but I guess that's not true. I told Kendall that when the jet lands, I'm going to hop a flight to Haiti for a quickie divorce."

Ryan's eyebrows shot up. "A divorce? Are you crazy? Why in hell would you do such a thing?" Zach cocked his head. "To give Kendall her freedom, of course." Ryan rubbed his hand over his hair. "I don't believe this." Zach tapped his fingers on his arm rest. "Why do you look so upset? I would have thought this is what you wanted." Ryan blinked. "What _I_ wanted? You know what, Zach, you have never made any sense to me at all, and nothing has changed." Zach smiled mirthlessly. "And you have always had every good and wonderful thing dumped in your lap. Nothing has changed." Ryan shook his head. The intercom clicked on and the pilot told them they were starting their descent into Pine Valley.

"Zach, you say that every good thing is dumped in my lap. I would have to agree that I've had some wonderful things happen to me. But look what I've done with it – I've pissed it all away. Now its your turn to have something wonderful happen to you. Don't fuck it up, like I did." Zach looked at him incredulously. "Now you're the one not making any sense. You should be going back in time to give me that advice. I _did_ have something wonderful happen to me and I've _already_ fucked it up." Ryan nodded. "Yes you did! By telling Kendall you're going to divorce her. You still haven't told me the real reason why you did that. It makes no sense. I know you have feelings for her. When you saw me hugging her, I noticed the look on your face – it was like someone punched you in the gut. You…" Ryan stopped and thought about that for a moment. "You saw us hugging…and then you brought up the divorce to her. You said you wanted to set her free. I don't believe this. You think she wants to be with me and so you're stepping aside?"

Zach gripped the arm rest until his knuckles turned white. "I think she's making a big mistake, but since when has that ever stopped Kendall? I turned myself inside out trying to convince her not to be a surrogate to your child, but she did it anyway. And why was that? Because she worships you. I wasn't around when you two were together, but I saw plenty of the devastating aftermath. I was there when she followed you around like a puppy dog in Las Vegas, begging for attention and getting slapped down for her trouble. I was there when you and Greenlee treated her horribly at the murder game, and she was so miserable she tried to drown herself. I was there when she tried to get over you by convincing herself she was in love with my son, only for him to betray her, too. I was there when she became sucked into Greenlee's plan to reform you by giving you a baby, and then later when she came up with the bright idea to become a surrogate. It positively thrilled her to have a piece of you growing inside her. Now the 'whole you' is back from the dead, and since Greenlee doesn't want you anymore, you're fair game. Kendall's dream come true. She is carrying your baby, and now she can have you, as well. So, I could refuse to divorce her to protect her from you, but it would be an empty gesture. She can divorce me without my consent, at any time. So all I _can_ do is give her what she wants, and watch you like a hawk. If you hurt her, then I really will kill you."

Ryan stared at Zach as the jet jolted upon landing. This had to be the most words that have come out of Zach's mouth at once. He didn't just care about Kendall. He was clearly in love with her. As the jet hurtled down the airstrip, Ryan realized why Kendall kept putting off telling Zach about the baby – and obviously she _still_ hadn't told him. She was in love with Zach, too. Unbelievable. These two were crazy about each other, and they didn't even know it. Ryan remembered that he had married Greenlee for convenience, and eventually they fell in love. The same thing apparently happened with the Slaters, but they were about to be blown apart if someone didn't set them straight, immediately. Ryan looked outside and saw that the jet was taxiing towards the gate. It was now or never. He looked at Slater speculatively, and decided to have a little fun with him.

"Y'know, I really appreciate this, man. Kendall and I are going to have a blast together. You think once the divorce goes through, she'll marry me? I want to make sure the kid is legally mine. No chance for Greenlee to come snatch it away. It's a shame that she hates me so much. She really is the love of my life. Kendall is great, but, meh, she isn't the main prize. I don't know, maybe I shouldn't marry Kendall after all. What if Greenlee changes her mind? Oh, that would be awesome. Two women who worship me. Sweet!" Zach was over into the seat next to Ryan in a flash. He grabbed a fistful of Ryan's shirt and pulled him closer. "I don't know what the fuck you're rambling on about, but one thing is very clear. You're playing some sort of game, amusing yourself at my expense, and I will not tolerate that. You think you'll be able to play with Kendall's emotions right in front of me? It's not going to happen. I was going to be magnanimous, but I see that's a ridiculous concept where you're concerned. I'm not going to divorce Kendall. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her away from you."

The jet came to a stop, and the co-pilot came through to give them instructions for deplaning. Zach let go of Ryan's shirt, and Ryan unbuckled his seatbelt. Ryan tried not to smile. That worked amazingly well. The passengers lined up to exit the plane. Zach was first, with Ryan behind him. Then Aidan, Greenlee, Tad, and finally Kendall. As they filed through the opening and into the tunnel that led to the gate, Ryan overheard Zach talking on his cell phone. He was canceling his flight to Haiti. Ryan contemplated ways that he could work on Kendall next.

He stopped short when he caught sight of Livia waiting at the gate. She looked very grave, and she was flanked by two police officers. Reality came back to Ryan in a flash, and he rushed over to her. "Livia, thanks so much for representing Jonathan. Why the men in blue? Where's Erin? She was going to meet me here." Livia took a deep breath. "Erin is at the hospital. Something has happened to Jonathan. About an hour ago, another prisoner shanked him during an argument. He lost a lot of blood before the guards could get to him. He's in surgery now, but…he's not expected to live." Ryan stared at her in horror. It was his worst fear come true. He took a deep breath. "Lets hurry…we need to go. I need to see him, to talk to him before its too late." She nodded. "That's why the men in uniform are here, to expedite our trip to the hospital."


	13. Chapter 13

Author's note: undying gratitude to Gidget/Zachsbitch for one of the hottest images ever to come out of the written word (the "large hot man" line).

Chapter 13

Kendall left the tiny bathroom and trudged over to the first available empty seat. She didn't want to sit next to Ryan again, especially if it meant having Zach in her line of sight. Exhausted from her crying jag, she fell asleep. Her dream was vague and formless. She heard people whispering to her, felt them grabbing at her arms and shoulders and hair. It was reminiscent of her time in the Thai jail, but these weren't prisoners. They were the people in her life. More to the point, they were people who have, at one time or another, caused her misery. Erica, Bianca, Ryan, Trey, Julia, Greenlee, etc. She strained her ears to hear what they were saying, only to recoil when the words were revealed to be taunts. They were telling her how worthless she was, that no one wanted her around, and why couldn't she just make everyone happy and leave for good. In the dream, Kendall curled into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting in dread for the blows to start next. Nobody wanted her…nobody wanted her….

She felt a jolt run through her whole body. Suddenly, the dream changed. The jolt was from her being thrown on top of a large desk, short of breath, as she felt a large hot man slip inside her. Kendall's eyes popped open and she sat upright, gasping at the impact the dream had on her psyche. The large hot man had been Zach. She'd felt his eyes burning into her. Kendall looked out the window and saw that the jet had landed. So that was the jolt she felt. She'd incorporated it into her dream. Not so much a dream, really, as a memory. It had been just like that night she and Zach made love. Kendall groaned, not wanting to remember that night, but her brain refused to cooperate.

After announcing that she was pregnant, Zach had kept his word about taking care of her. He arranged for nutritious meals to be delivered (and even made a few himself), he hired a maid service, offered to drive her anywhere she wanted to go. He was always touching her, putting his arm around her, sitting ever so close to her on the sofa as they watched old movies. But the best and the worst thing had been the massages. Foot rubs, back rubs, shoulder rubs. They were heaven, and they were hell. The first few times he did it, she was left feeling completely relaxed. After awhile, though, she started to feel aroused and wanted him to do more, touch more places. But he always remained a gentleman. Sometimes she would catch a particular motion becoming more sensual than medicinal, but he would quickly become businesslike again. She was becoming frustrated, and the more frustrated she became, the crankier she got.

One night they were in his office, going over some reports that needed her signature. Kendall wanted Zach to explain some figures she was looking at, so he came around the desk and leaned over to see what she was talking about. His right hand was resting on her back, while his left hand was pointing at a chart. His voice rumbled next to her left ear, distracting her from understanding a word he said. Kendall eventually lost her composure completely. She slammed the report shut. "I've had enough of this! How in the hell am I supposed to keep up with it all? I have a Fusion campaign to launch, Erica bugging me to do a segment on her show, Greenlee breathing down my neck about the pregnancy, and this damn casino. Its too much!" Zach had frowned in concern and put his arm around her. "You're right, you have too much going on. Why don't we just forget all this for now." She shoved his hand off her shoulder. "Stop touching me! Just stop it right now or I'll freak out." Zach looked at her in amazement, and then cocked his head. "I think you're not feeling yourself. How about I call down for a meal?" She threw her hands up. "Great idea. How about strawberries again? Remember that? You _hand_ fed me strawberries the other day. Why don't you just kill me and get it over with."

Zach had his hand on the telephone. "So…no strawberries?" Kendall marched over and shoved the telephone off the desk. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Deliberately tormenting me. We agreed to a marriage in name only, and I was very insistent on that point. So now you're getting me back by taking advantage of my hormonal state. Well, you want to see hormonal? Here it is." She started flinging objects from his desk onto the floor. Soon pencils, folders, stapler, in box, and other various office supplies were littering the carpet.

Zach grabbed her wrists as she was reaching for the keyboard. "I think you proved your point, whatever the hell it was." She pulled her wrists away. "My point? I don't have a point. You do have a point, however, and you should be driving it home right about now, instead of wasting my time with reports and...and…and fucking strawberries!" She glared at him, breathing heavily, her eyes gleaming with fury and unshed tears. He stared at her for a few moments, and then light dawned.

Kendall's reverie was broken by the sound of the co-pilot. She looked up and saw that he was explaining the procedures for leaving the jet. Kendall sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt. She stood up and saw Zach moving into the aisle. He was glaring at Ryan, who stood up, apparently having been sitting across from him. When Zach turn towards the front, she saw Ryan grinning at him from behind. What the hell was going on between them? Aidan, Greenlee and Tad also stood up and moved into the aisle.

Greenlee woke up when the co-pilot made his speech. Despite her anger and confusion at seeing Ryan and Kendall sitting together, she had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. As everyone lined up in the aisle, she noticed Kendall was in the back. As they started to shuffle forward, she moved to the side so that Tad would go ahead of her and she could talk to Kendall. "What exactly was going on between you and Ryan? You two looked awfully cozy for awhile there." Kendall blinked at her. "What?" Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Don't play coy. You were whispering to each other, rubbing noses, hugging. Trying to rekindle the old romance by whispering sweet nothings in his ear?" Kendall laughed. "We were talking about Jonathan. Ooh la la!"

Greenlee made a cutting gesture. "I find it hard to believe that Jonathan inspired such physical displays of affection." Kendall's shoulders slumped in exasperation. "Greenlee! Look, I was whispering to him about my baby – I didn't want Zach to overhear. Then I told him about the surrogacy, and he gave me a hug to thank me for taking care of you. The nose thing was just an accident, we didn't suddenly turn into Eskimos." They were almost out of the tunnel and at the gate. Greenlee stopped and turned to Kendall. "Really? You weren't being lovey dovey?" Kendall sighed. "I don't believe this, Greenlee. You sure are earning your name, you know that? How could you possibly think that I would flirt with your husband right in front of _you_. Right in front of _my_ husband?" Greenlee hung her head. "I guess I didn't think about it too hard. I was just so angry." Kendall put her hands on Greenlee's shoulders. "As I said, the Greenlee-eyed monster was coming out. And why was that? Because you still love your husband."

Greenlee waved her hand. "I know where you're going with this, and I can't think about that right now. We have to get through the Jonathan crisis before I can start thinking about the future. I want to make sure that he rots in jail." She looked over and saw Ryan standing with Livia Frye. He looked like he had been hit with a two-by-four. Greenlee clutched Kendall's arm. "Something's happened!" By the time they made their way over, Ryan was taking off with Livia and two police officers. Greenlee went over to Zach. "What happened?" Zach glanced over at Kendall, then looked down at Greenlee. "Jonathan was knifed by another prisoner. He's in surgery right now, but they don't think he'll make it." Greenlee's eyes widened. "Ryan must be devastated. I have to go to the hospital." She whipped out her cell phone to make transportation arrangements.

Zach contemplated Greenlee's reaction. No look of relief or satisfaction that Jonathan might die for real this time. She simply felt concern for her husband. Maybe she wasn't through with Ryan after all. Maybe they would get back together. He looked up at Kendall again, and saw that she was looking at him. How would she feel about her hopes dashed again? It was better this way – the further away from Ryan she was, the better. Zach told Ryan on the jet that he would keep her away from him, but he doubted that would be an easy prospect. As he said earlier, when Kendall wanted something, stopping her was next to impossible.

Zach walked over to Kendall. "Did you hear?" She nodded solemnly. "I'll go with Greenlee to the hospital and make sure she gets through this okay." He gazed down at her. "What about you? Who will make sure you get through this okay?" She blinked at him. "Once upon a time, it would have been you." Guilt stabbed through him. He'd wanted so much to be there for her during her pregnancy. Instead he'd gotten caught up in Julia's mess and landed himself in a jail cell for weeks. "I'll take you and Greenlee to the hospital." She bit her lip. "What about Haiti?" He took a deep breath. Was she really so eager for the divorce? "Haiti's not going anywhere. Right now there are more important things to worry about." Now was not the time to tell her that he was going to refuse to give her a divorce. He turned to tell Greenlee that his limo would take them to the hospital, and missed Kendall's smile of relief.

_Author's note: Before I get lynched – yes, I do plan to continue the flashback._


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's note: Special thanks to Alina for giving me the idea for Zach, Kendall, and a desk chair._

Chapter 14

Greenlee flew into the emergency room. She pounced on a harried-looking doctor. "Jonathan Lavery! The prisoner that was brought in – where is he?" He pointed towards a room, and she rushed over. She looked into the window and froze. There was Jonathan, lying on a hospital bed. His head was shaved (probably from the brain surgery), and his eyes were closed. She felt a chill run through her as she looked at the man who had caused such suffering. Ryan and Erin were holding each other. Erin was sobbing, and Ryan looked shell-shocked. "He's dead." Greenlee turned around and saw David standing there, leaning on a mop. He nodded towards the room. "About 5 minutes ago. He was alive when he left surgery, but didn't last long. You know, I would love to be the one performing the autopsy on him – just to make sure he stays dead this time."

Greenlee turned back and stared at Jonathan through the window. It was over before it had begun. She'd been in fight mode ever since finding out that he was still alive, had made it her mission to make sure he rotted in prison. She'd psyched herself up for the prospect of battling her husband as he tried equally as hard to free his brother. Now the whole thing was moot. "Greenlee!" She turned and saw Kendall rushing towards her, Zach coming up behind. "Well?" Kendall looked in the window. "He's dead. Jonathan is dead, and now Ryan has to grieve for his brother all over again." Kendall looked at her with sympathy. "We all know how it went the last time Ryan mourned his brother. Why is this happening again? It was horrifying enough for you to go through it once…but twice?"

Greenlee turned to Kendall. "No. Not just twice, Kendall. Three times. Before Leo died, we had to contend with his crazy mother. She was unbelievably horrible, and yet Leo somehow couldn't sever his connection to her. David!" David looked up from mopping. "David, I need to talk to you. I need to sort some things out in my head. You might be the only one who can help me." His eyes filled with tenderness for his former sister-in-law. "Of course. Lets go to the chapel." He set the mop aside and took her hand.

Kendall watched them go off. She looked back in the window at Jonathan, chills running up her spine. She felt an arm around her. She looked up at Zach. "This has to be so conflicting for Greenlee. One the one hand relief that Jonathan is really dead this time. On the other hand, she has to watch her husband deal with it. How does it work? How do you help a person grieve for someone you hated?" Zach raised one eyebrow. "Do you really think Greenlee is going to try and help him grieve?" She shrugged her shoulders. "I saw the compassion in her eyes. She loves Ryan, and doesn't want to see him hurting." Zach nodded at the window. "What do you feel about what you see?"

Kendall sighed. "I see the ruins of a family that was laid to waste by a horrible man – their father. Its like…like driving past the wreckage of a deadly car crash." Zach urged her away from the window. "Then don't look. Sit down. Why don't I get you some hot chocolate?" She smiled. "The next best thing to coffee?" He smiled back. "And more comforting, I imagine." She nodded. "Thanks, I would love some." She watched as he walked away. She supposed that if she had to, she could raise their child alone. She would have tons of help from people who loved her. But she didn't want to. She wanted Zach. And not for their baby's sake, but because she wanted him in her life, ached for him. She didn't know why he wanted a divorce all of a sudden, but she was going to change his mind. She was going to fight for him.

Zach came back with the hot chocolate and saw that Kendall had been joined by Erica and Jackson. Erica was holding Kendall tightly and crying. "When I think of you in that prison, with those horrible women, I get chills all over again." Erica looked up at his approach. "And its all your fault! I knew that when Kendall married you she was going to be in danger. I still don't know why you went after him, dear, you should have let him rot in that cell and then you would be a filthy rich widow." Zach decided not to hand the hot chocolate to Kendall, because she looked like she would probably throw it on Erica at the moment. Her furious expression did wonders for his ego. "Mother, if you say another word about Zach, I swear I will…" Zach interrupted her. "No, no. Your mother's right. I think you would have done so much better as a filthy rich widow. The world would have been at your feet. As it stands now, no one wants to come visit you because they're worried they might run into me." His cell phone rang. He handed the hot chocolate to Kendall. "Excuse me."

He went off a little ways and answered it. It was Edie. After welcoming him back, she delivered him a stern lecture on all the things that needed taking care of at the casino, and his next stop better darn well be the casino or she would come find him and kidnap him. Zach looked over at Kendall, talking with Erica and Jackson. She would be okay for now. He didn't want his assistant to blow a gasket, so he assured her he would be there immediately. He hung up and went back to Kendall. "I need to placate Edie and go to the casino to put my name on a few documents. I'll be back later." Kendall stood up. "I suggested before that you get yourself checked out. You really should make sure you're okay before you jump into work." He put his hand on her shoulder. "I'll be fine. I promise I won't cramp my hand with too many signatures." He turned and walked out the door.

Greenlee sat down in a pew, and David sat down next to her. "Tell me why Leo couldn't let go of his mother. I want to…I want to understand Ryan. Understand why he was so devoted to helping his brother. I just don't understand how anyone can be so attached to someone who is so awful." David stared ahead for a moment. "Leo…for a long time it was just him and Vanessa. She made him dependant on her, made him adore her, just like she would do to her marks. There was a co-dependency there, and Vanessa took full advantage of it. She made sure she was Leo's world. She made sure he would feel guilty if he ever left her or stopped dancing attendance on her. As he grew older, and realized just what she did and the things she made him do, it became so much harder for him. On the one hand, he loved his mother. On the other hand, she hurt people.

"Eventually, when it came out that she was homicidal, it was still hard for him to let go. When she pretended to be crazy, he held on to that. It was easier to believe that his mother wasn't a cold-blooded killer, that she was just messed up in the head. In Ryan's case, he was also dealing with the failed responsibility of helping to get his siblings out of the danger zone. I think he must have felt even more desperate than Leo to believe that his brother could be redeemed. I've heard the rumors that Jonathan had a brain tumor removed. I'm sure Ryan held onto that hope as tight as he could. I'm glad that Jonathan is dead now, because he can't hurt anyone else. I just wish someone had put a knife in Vanessa before she had the chance to take Leo with her over that bridge. I wish I had been the one to do it." He reached out and hugged Greenlee. She cried against his shoulder, glad that he didn't take the opportunity to blast Ryan. He had given her just what she needed.

Zach arrived at the casino and took care of the decisions that needed to be made, much to the relief of Edie. When she left his office with his admonition that he didn't want to be disturbed, he sat there awhile and stared at his desk. He looked at the telephone, and remembered Kendall shoving it off the desk. Like a toddler having a meltdown, she had picked up every item on his desk and flung it to the floor. He'd prevented her from destroying his computer – he didn't want to have to explain to his tech guy why his wife was having a tantrum. Heck, _he_ didn't know why his wife was having a tantrum - until he looked into her eyes and saw that beneath the anger and the tears was a burning desire.

He was completely stunned. He had been so preoccupied with controlling his longing for her that it never occurred to him that she might feel the same way. Over those previous weeks, he hadn't been able to keep his hands off her. He was always touching her, always looking for an excuse to give her a massage or put his arm around her. The effort it took to keep from taking the next step left him depleted. The only positive spin had been the savings in hot water bills.

"I'm not going to beg you, Zach. I've done that before. I won't do it for you." With that, his self-control snapped completely. He pulled Kendall to him and kissed her. Unlike their previous kiss, which had been a joke for the benefit of Erica and the press, this one was entirely serious. To finally have her lips touching his, after weeks of building frustration…Zach realized he would need to slow down or it would be over with before it began. He broke the kiss and, his hands shaking, he cupped her face. "Are you sure about this? It will kind of wreck the whole 'business arrangement' aspect of our marriage."

She shook her head. "You know, I used to think you were such an opportunist, that no one would ever mistake you for a gentleman. Now I see that I was wrong, tragically wrong. Here you are, asking permission to sleep with your wife. Just shut up and do what feels right!" He decided that she had a very good point. He reached around, grabbed her ass and lifted her against him. She responded by wrapping her legs around him. He grinned at her triumphant expression. "Never let it be said that I don't obey my wife." He carried her to the desk and plunked her down on top of it. While she busied herself with ripping off his tie and pulling impatiently at the buttons on his shirt, he was running his hands underneath her top, reveling in the feel of her skin that he had ached to touch all those times he massaged her. She finally got his shirt open, and he responded by pulling off her top. "This is taking too much time," she panted. "I'm sick of waiting." Feeling constrained once again to obey his wife, he unzipped his pants and lifted up her skirt. He slid into her over and over and they both quickly came in an explosion of hot breath and sweat.

Kendall punched in the code to enter his office. She walked in and stopped a few feet from his desk. He was staring down at his desk, his hands clenched into fists. She was either very quiet, or he was very lost in thought. She knew it was the latter. She knew he was thinking about that night. About the torrid sex they had on his desk. It had been swift, it had been powerful, and it had left them both exhausted and shaking. When they'd regained their energy, they quickly dressed and went upstairs to his private suite and made up for lots and lots of lost time. It was no wonder she got pregnant – her egg never stood a chance.

If nothing else, Zach desired her. If she was going to fight for her marriage, she needed to start somewhere. She walked up to him, and as she got closer, he became aware of her presence. She came around the desk and climbed in his lap, straddling him. Gripping the lapels of his jacket with her hands, she whispered, "I think its time for an encore." She pulled him against her and kissed him. Wrapping his arms around her, this time avoiding her bruise, he once again obeyed his wife.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Ryan held onto Erin, the only person he had left in the world. Even though he had screwed up his relationship with her right out of the starting gate, she had forgiven him. In his wildest dreams could he hope that Greenlee would forgive him, too. He almost felt angry with Jonathan. Ryan's desire to save his brother was what lead to the avalanche of events that destroyed his marriage and life. Jonathan could have at least had the decency to live and fulfill his potential. But, of course, it was easy to heap all the blame and anger on a dead man. His dead brother. Erin lifted her head. "I wanted so much for him to be happy, to escape all the misery. Instead his life ended so horribly. In prison, all alone, unprotected – the victim of a vicious attack."

Ryan blinked as his brain conjured up an image of Greenlee. She would probably respond that Jonathan's victims had felt the same way. "Erin, I think that even if he had lived, he wouldn't be happy. Even if we had been able to get him out of jail, he would have been under constant scrutiny for the rest of his life. He wanted Greenlee to be a part of his family, and wanted her forgiveness, but it wouldn't have happened. And he would have had to live with the memories of the atrocities he committed. I truly believe he wouldn't have caused any more misery, but ultimately he wouldn't have been able to escape responsibility for his actions. Maybe…maybe its better that he can rest now, be at peace." She nodded, fresh tears falling from her cheeks.

There was a quiet knock at the door. Ryan looked over and saw Greenlee standing there. Erin saw her too and stiffened. "I…I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for your loss." Erin sniffed. "I wish I could believe that." Greenlee looked down. "Let me be more clear. I'm sorry that you have to go through the pain of losing your brother. I know you both cared for him deeply." Erin grimaced. "I appreciate that." Ryan, didn't say anything, just gazed longingly at his wife. There was a long awkward silence. Greenlee turned and started to walk away. Ryan squeezed Erin's shoulder, then took off after Greenlee. He caught up to her and touched her arm. She turned around. "Thank you for your kind words. Let me be clear, too. I'm relieved that you don't have to be afraid anymore. I know that you never would have believed Jonathan was no longer harmful to you. I don't blame you, really. But its over now. He's gone. He can't ever hurt anybody or…or be hurt again."

He was unable to continue. Greenlee slipped her arms around Ryan's waist and held on tightly. "I'm so sorry you have to mourn his death twice. When we were in Thailand, I thought several times that I was going to have to mourn _your_ death twice, and it was such a horrible prospect." Ryan held her tighter. "God, Greenlee. I still can't believe that I let you go through that even _once_. I was in such a bad place, and that seemed like the only way out. I should have trusted you. I should have gotten counseling." She pulled back and shook her head. "And I should have let you process through your grief and anger before I tried to shove a baby in your lap. I've always been too impatient for my own good. I know that with time you would have calmed down and wanted a child, like you did before." Ryan stroked her long, silky hair. "We've both made mistakes. Mine was worse, though. I don't want to hurt you again, Greenlee. Say the word, and I'll go back to Nova Scotia with Erin. I'll stay out of your life for good." She stared up at him with those beautifully large and sad eyes of hers.

Zach stared down at Kendall lying in his arms. He got one more night with her. After the ride in his office chair, they once again moved up to his suite. He didn't know why she made love with him when she was so close to getting Ryan, but he hadn't argued, questioned, complained, second-guessed, or even so much as lifted an eyebrow. Now he lay here waiting for her to wake up and blame her actions on jet lag or something. Her eyes fluttered open. She saw him gazing at her and smiled that self-satisfied, catlike smile of hers. She stretched and sighed contentedly. Okay, no regrets so far. After a few silent moments, her face started to grow pensive. There it was. He steeled himself for what was to follow.

Kendall woke up in the glorious cocoon of Zach's arms. She felt very triumphant over the previous night. He hadn't rejected her. He hadn't brought up divorce. She felt hopeful again. Until she thought about the baby. She had to finally tell him about the baby. But before she could do that, she had to tell him how she felt. Her spirits started to flag. Before she could do any of that, she needed to know exactly why he wanted a divorce. Kendall swung her legs over the side of the bed, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it under her arms. She looked at Zach, laying on the rumpled sheets, his face all stubbly. It would be so much simpler to just hop back into bed and wipe away the wariness that had crept into his eyes. She spoke softly. "Zach, why do you want a divorce?" His expression was grave. "I don't want to end our marriage, Kendall. I want you to stay with me." Hope leapt at his reply. "So what was that all about on the jet, then?" He took a deep breath. "I want you to be happy. It seemed like at that moment that you were happy with Lavery. I figured if he was what you wanted…" He shrugged. Her mouth gaped open. "You thought Ryan and I….you think I want to get back together with Ryan?" She shook her head and paced around the room. "What is with you and Greenlee? She thought I was after her husband too! About took my head off for it. I don't understand, there was nothing about our exchange that could be construed as romantic. We were just friends talking, comforting each other. I can understand Greenlee's reaction. She still loves Ryan, and was looking at the two of us through the eyes of jealousy…" She stopped short.

Kendall went over to the bed and sat down. "Were you jealous, Zach? Did it hurt you to think of Ryan and I together?" His expression was skeptical. "Are you telling me that you and he don't want to be together? I find that hard to believe. Your love for him was so intense. And on the jet he seemed pretty confident that you two would get married just as soon as the two divorces went through. He was being an asshole about it, and that was when I realized that I couldn't let him get his hands on you." Kendall closed her eyes. This was too much to process at once. "Wait a minute. He said that he would marry me?" Zach looked away. "He said he wants to make sure he's legally the father of his baby." Kendall stared at him. So that was the reason for the little smile when Ryan was getting off the jet. He had been jerking Zach around. Kendall didn't know whether she would strangle Ryan the next time she saw him, or hug him again. Pissing Zach off had effectively prevented him from getting on a plane to Haiti.

"I think I need to clear a few things up, Zach. I don't love Ryan anymore. He destroyed that love – not just because he chose another woman, but because he hurt me so badly. I can forgive him, but I can't love him again. He doesn't love me, either, and he doesn't want to marry me. He was just goading you so that you wouldn't divorce me." Zach contemplated all this. "What's the point? Why didn't he just come right out and tell the truth?" She laughed, in spite of herself. "Would you have believed him? He did us a favor. Bought us some time." He rolled his eyes. Then his gaze settled on her again. "So you no longer love Ryan?" She shook her head. "A lot of what I felt for him was based in my own insecurity, my desire for love and approval. I set him up the way I set up all the men in my life – to fail me completely."

Zach reached out and tentatively touched her hair. "You haven't set me up to fail." She looked at him. "That's because my emotions come from a completely different place this time. Instead of being based on insecurity, they're based on security. You've stayed right by my side through all of my craziness. Well, there was the extended absence in Thailand, but I guess that one is excusable. I don't think you'll ever walk away from me, and that's part of the problem. If you stay, I want you to stay for the right reasons. But I guess I can't have everything I want." Zach wound a strand of her hair around his finger. "You're not making any sense at all. Why don't we back up to the part about your feelings for me. What are your feelings for me?"

She took a deep breath, hoping she wouldn't see annoyance or pity in his eyes. "We married for business and for revenge. Then we became friends. Now lovers. And throughout it all I kept telling myself that I hated you, that you were my protection against love. Well, I screwed that up the way I screw up every crazy plan I conceive. I fell in love with you, Zach." He stared at her a moment. Then he took a deep breath. "With me?" She nodded. "Not because I'm desperate to be a part of a family, or to be noticed or to put on a performance as Good Kendall so that I'll get a pat on the head. You don't expect anything of me. You forgive me when I screw up. You try to make me see reason when I make foolish decisions, and stand by me anyway when I won't budge. You lied to me and hurt me in order to protect me, which is something that I would do, that I _have_ done. When any other man would have taken me to bed the first chance he got, you were always a gentleman – much to my frustration. I love you, Zach, because of who you are and how special you've made me feel."

Zach looked off to the side, his breathing labored. "Because of who I am…are you sure that you really know who that is, Kendall? I mean, the man you're describing sounds like some sort of paragon." Kendall made a sweeping motion with her hands. "Stop it! It is you, Zach. I know you have this whole self-deprecating façade going on, but do you know how many months we've been in close proximity to each other? I know who you are, Zach, and everything I said is true." There was a long pause as he processed all of this. Kendall fidgeted with her blanket. Impatiently she let out a long gust of air. "So, are you going to tell me what you think about all this? The bomb that I just dropped on you? I know I just said that you would never walk away, but are you going to prove me wrong? Are you going to run in the opposite direction of the woman crazy enough to be in love with you?"

With a swiftness that startled her, Zach grasped her shoulders and pushed her down onto the pillow, hovering over her. "There is no way in hell I'm letting go of the one woman crazy enough to be in love with me. Especially when I'm so crazy for you that I need a straightjacket. I love you, Kendall. I've seen over and over how much you give to others and I've ached for you to turn that shining beacon of love onto me. I never thought it would happen. God, I still can't believe that it's happening. Tell me again, Kendall. Say it to me, again." Shaking, she put her hands on either side of his face. "I love you, Zach." He kissed her hard. For the next hour they released all the emotions that had been kept pent up until now.

Kendall snuggled up to Zach, thrilled that so far everything was going well. Now to really freak him out. "Zach?" With his eyes closed, he murmered, "Hmm?" She ran her finger up his arm. "I need your full attention, Zach. Telling you I love you was only one of the things I wanted to talk to you about." His eyes popped open and he smiled. "I can't imagine it can get any better than this." She smiled back. "Well, it depends on your perspective. You're either going to love it or hate it." He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "You have my attention." She took a deep breath. "You've asked several times why I came looking for you in Thailand. With so much going on, it was never the right time to tell you. I was going to tell you on the jet, till you blew me away with the offer of divorce." He looked rueful. "Well, the time can't get better than this. Tell me."

She took a deep breath and told him all about the supposedly routine visit with Dr. Madden. She finished by telling him Dr. Madden's conclusion that Greenlee's baby had miscarried, and that she was now carrying Zach's child. After a moment, Zach sat up in bed. He looked down at the sheets for a long while, and then said something totally unexpected. "Tad was right. I thought he had rocks in his head, but he was right." Kendall frowned. "What do you mean? Did he tell you about the baby, and you didn't believe him?" He shook his head. "When we were in jail, I was hallucinating a lot from the drugs, and having strange dreams. I told him that I kept seeing a little girl, dreaming about her, and I wanted to know if she was real. He told me a story about how he used to dream of his little girl when Dixie was pregnant. I told him it was completely irrelevant because you were carrying Ryan's child." Zach looked at her. "Kendall…he was right. The little girl I was dreaming about…she was ours." His voice was thick and his eyes bright. "Dreaming about her, and dreaming about you, was what kept my sanity." Kendall looked at him in amazement. "A little girl? So, does this mean you're okay with…being a father?" He laughed. "I'm going to be the father of a Kane woman. Heaven help me."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Dr. Madden came out of the operating room and pulled down his mask. Erica and Jackson came over and regarded him apprehensively. "Well?" He smiled reassuringly. "They made it through surgery just fine." Erica smiled. "Oh, I'm so glad!" Greenlee and Ryan burst into the waiting room and rushed over to Dr. Madden. Ryan spoke in a rush of words. "There was a huge pileup on the interstate. Our car was damaged, so it took a long time to sort things out with the cops and everything, it was a huge mess." Greenlee grimaced. "We about went out of our minds. Is there any news? How are they?" Ryan cut in. "Why did she need an emergency c-section?" Dr. Madden held up his hands. "Not long after she went into labor, it became apparent that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. We needed to get him out immediately." Greenlee gasped. "Is the baby okay?" Dr. Madden smiled. "He's fine. They're both fine – no complications. A bit groggy from the anesthesia, but they are both strong and healthy." Ryan stared at him. "You said 'he.' Does that mean…?" Dr. Madden nodded. "It's a boy." Erica looked over at Jackson. "Did you hear that? A grandson!" She whipped out her cell phone and dialed a number.

Zach answered the telephone on the first ring. "Erica? What's the news?" She related everything she just heard. He exhaled in relief. "That's wonderful. I'll pass the news along. Thanks for calling. Oh, and congratulations on being a grandmother again." He hung up, chuckling to himself. He couldn't resist needling her a bit. He walked back to the nursery, where Kendall was burping Sarah. "Erin had the baby. They are both fine and healthy. It's a boy." Kendall gasped. "Oh! Greenlee and Ryan must be so thrilled! Oh, I wish I could have been there." Zach sat next to her. "I know, but you couldn't tear yourself away from your daughter." Kendall finished patting her on the back, and rubbed noses with her. "They weren't going to let you in the waiting room, were they? No, too many germs. Well, guess what? You have a new cousin. A boy! And since he is younger than you by a few months, you get to boss him around." Sarah burbled at her. Zach shook his head. "She's a Kane woman. It doesn't matter whether the man is younger or older – she'll be bossing him around."

Zach plucked Sarah out of Kendall's arms. "Go. Your friend needs you and your months of expertise to help her through this." Kendall straightened a tiny sock that was threatening to fall off her foot. "Are you sure? She's been pretty fussy today. I just fed her, but there's no guarantee she'll go to sleep." Zach fixed her with an exasperated look. "Kendall, if it weren't for Greenlee, you and I would both still be in our respective prison cells – assuming we were even still alive. She's your friend. She needs you. Now go." Kendall rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at Zach. She gave Sarah a smooch and then Zach a lingering kiss. After looking back a few times, she eventually made it out the door of the nursery. Zach looked down at Sarah. "We finally got rid of her. Now, how about a few rounds of Pat the Bunny?" Sarah squealed. "That's what I thought." He picked up the book and began to read to her. Unbeknownst to him, Kendall came back and stood in the doorway for a few minutes. With a tender smile, she finally left to go lend support to her friend.

The End.

_Author's note:_ The first chapter started out with a big twist, and so it is only fitting that the last chapter has one, too. I hope you enjoyed it. I made a second slideshow to accompany the story as a whole. In order to see the slideshow, click on my name, and the link will be in my profile. It is set to the song Ordinary World, by Duran Duran. The words of the song, especially the chorus, hauntingly reflect the one main desire of all the characters. Here are the lyrics to the song:

Came in from a rainy Thursday, on the avenue. Thought I heard you talking softly.

I turned on the lights, the TV, and the radio, but still I can't escape the ghost of you.

What is happening to me, crazy some would say.

Where is the life that I recognize - gone away.

And I won't cry for yesterday. There's an ordinary world, somehow I have to find.

And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world, I will learn to survive

Passion or coincidence once prompted you to say, "Pride will tear us both apart."

Well now pride's gone out the window, across the rooftops, run away.

Left me in the vacuum of my heart.

What is happening to me - crazy some will say.

Where is my friend when I need you most - gone away.

But I won't cry for yesterday. There's an ordinary world, somehow I have to find.

And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world, I will learn to survive.

Papers in the roadside tell of suffering and grief.

Fear today, forgot tomorrow. Beside the news of holy war and holy need,

Ours is just a little sorrowed talk.

And I won't cry for yesterday. There's an ordinary world, somehow I have to find.

And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world, I will learn to survive.

Every world is my world (I will learn to survive)

Any world is my world (I will learn to survive)

Any world is my world, every world is our world, every world


End file.
